Federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne is backing calls to establish a multilateral group to coordinate technology policy across countries, as companies and lawmakers seek to avoid fragmented regulation of data practices, AI and other fields.  

“Anything that we can do on the international stage to make sure that we promote standards and rules and norms [to ensure] more resilience, and that [participating countries] can succeed in the new economy, is certainly something that I see positively,” he said in an interview with The Logic. Champagne specifically cited the T12, a proposal to align a dozen “techno-democracies” championed by influential U.S. foreign policy experts and tech executives at firms including Google.

Governments, multinational companies and policy experts have in recent years launched or called for new institutions to harmonize rulemaking for the digital economy. The conclaves are designed to keep privacy and data laws interoperable, guide development of emerging technologies like AI and quantum, set technical standards and ensure large platforms are adequately regulated.  

Champagne told The Logic last week that establishing such a group is “an interesting idea that needs to be pursued.” 

Jared Cohen, founder and CEO of Google unit Jigsaw, and Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for a New American Security think-tank, proposed the T12 in an October 2020 op-ed. Members could exchange information about digital policy issues, coordinate approaches at global standard-setting bodies, and harmonize domestic regulations on emerging technologies. A group of policy experts and tech executives co-chaired by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt also backed the concept, in a report calling for the U.S. to “out-compete” China in technological leadership. 

“Some in the United States have suggested that there should be a grouping of countries … working together to promote the advancement of science, technology and innovation [and] standards,” Champagne said, referring to the T12. It would ensure that “in a world which is divided around some of the key aspects of technology, we coordinate our policy together.” 

While advanced economies come together via the G7 and OECD, there’s no comparable forum for tech-focused democracies, Fontaine said in an interview with The Logic. For example, members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group adopted different policies on allowing domestic wireless carriers to buy equipment for their upcoming 5G networks from Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Canada has yet to make a decision.

There has been “insufficient international coordination” on technologies like 5G, AI and quantum, according to Fontaine. He envisions the T12 as an informal club without a permanent secretariat, with a rotating leadership that could set an annual agenda, and working groups or task forces to tackle specific policy issues. 

“Canada is extraordinarily important as a leading liberal democracy with an innovation economy and advanced technological capabilities,” said Fontaine, citing the Kitchener-Waterloo ecosystem in particular. In the U.S., “variants on this idea [are] under discussion both in the Congress and in the Biden administration.” Other proposed T12 members include Australia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Sweden and the U.K. 

Policymakers and business groups have advanced other proposals, prompted by concerns about authoritarian regimes’ use of digital tools or the emergence of a “splinternet” composed of conflicting national and regional regulations.  

In March, a group of 24 multinational corporations called for the G7 to spin out a Data and Technology Forum to encourage cooperation on AI regulation, cross-border data flows and cybersecurity. It’s modelled on the Financial Stability Board (FSB), an umbrella group for central banks and regulators that coordinates regulations for the financial system. Proponents include tech companies IBM, Qualcomm, SoftBank and Zoom; financial services firms Citi, Mastercard and Visa and Citi; and carmakers GM and Toyota.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based Centre for International Governance Innovation has also proposed a FSB-like Digital Stability Board. The body would coordinate rules governing large platforms like Amazon, Facebook and Google, as well as track and mitigate their effects. In November 2019, the think tank’s chair, Jim Balsillie, raised the idea to lawmakers from seven countries at the International Grand Committee on Disinformation, another group set up to promote multilateral tech cooperation.

Ottawa has sought to work with other governments in some areas of the innovation economy. “We’re already making, I would say, a positive difference when it comes to AI,” said Champagne. A joint Canadian-French initiative launched in June 2018 led to the establishment of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, which now has 19 members. The innovation minister was the inaugural chair of its governing council, while Montreal hosts one of its two centres of expertise. 

In February, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault met with counterparts from Australia, Finland, France and Germany to discuss online content rules. He’s seeking a “formal coalition” on platform regulation, he told The Logic that month.

Domestically, former innovation minister Navdeep Bains introduced legislation in November 2020 to overhaul Canada’s consumer privacy law, changes he previously said were designed to ensure interoperability with the EU and other jurisdictions. Bill C-11 remains at second reading in the House of Commons, as Liberal and opposition MPs disagree on which committee should review it. Champagne said he wants to “pass that as quickly as possible to really position Canada as a leader” on data regulation.