The Canadian Medical Association is calling on the federal government to deliver on its promise to support healthcare employees amid ongoing online harassment from doctors and other workers.
The medical association is also calling on social media companies to address harassment and threats made on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Online harassment against healthcare workers has not only increased, but also increased in severity in recent weeks and months, said the association’s president, Dr. Katharine Smart.
The trend has emerged in parallel with the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the upcoming vaccine launch for children, he added.
Smart said he would like social media companies to recognize that they play a role in improving the security of the platforms where such harassment takes place.
“It is clear that the processes that are already in place, the terms and conditions and the reporting mechanisms, are not enough,” said Smart. “They are not pointing out these violent things that healthcare professionals are experiencing. They are not pointing out racism and misogyny in these comments, either.”
Cam Gordon, head of communications for Twitter Canada, said in a statement that “harassment and hateful conduct have no place” on his platform.
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“We recognize the concerns that healthcare professionals have regarding social media and we are committed to creating healthy experiences on Twitter,” Gordon said.
YouTube spokeswoman Lauren Skelly said in a statement that the platform has “clear policies” on harassment and hatred, and removes videos that violate those policies.
Kevin Chan, global director and head of public policy for Meta Canada, formerly known as Facebook Canada, said in a statement that the platform is “constantly working” to create policies and improve its ability to enforce them, while providing users tools to inform. abuse.
The Canadian Medical Association urges the federal government to protect healthcare workers. #CMA #CDNPoli #HealthCareWorkers
Both Skelly and Chan said they hope to meet with the association to discuss how to keep Canadian healthcare workers safe.
LinkedIn and TikTok could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
The medical association has reached out to social media and will meet with representatives next week to discuss how online spaces can be made more secure, Smart said.
“This kind of behavior emboldens people and that leads to real physical harm to people,” he said. “And we’ve already seen healthcare professionals who have been physically hurt, spat on, beaten, harassed, and we can’t have that kind of escalating violence.”
He also said that bullying contributes to already high levels of stress and burnout among healthcare professionals, and could lead workers to leave the field “to levels we have not seen before.”
During the federal election campaign, Liberals pledged to introduce new criminal penalties for those who intimidate or harass healthcare workers, as well as anyone who blocks access to vaccine clinics, hospitals, testing centers, and abortion clinics. .
The promises came as protesters gathered outside hospitals in opposition to requirements for proof of vaccination and other public health measures.
Justice Minister David Lametti said in a statement that “there is no room for intimidation or threats” against Canadian health workers or those seeking health services.
Lametti said the federal government is considering “all options” to make its promises come true “as soon as possible.”
The association says that alongside legislation and “responsible management” of social media platforms, the public’s help is also needed to ensure the safety of healthcare workers.
Smart said this means encouraging the public to hold social media companies accountable. “By joining us and calling for this action, you can show your support for healthcare workers and help us create a space that we can all benefit from,” said Smart.
“We want to make it clear that this vicious cycle of online violence cannot become the legacy of this pandemic,” he added.
“We cannot allow these new rules that are harmful to doctors, healthcare workers, scientists and others, including journalists who are speaking out to educate people, to become acceptable.”
This Canadian Press report was first published on November 18, 2021.
This story was produced with financial assistance from Facebook and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Reference-www.nationalobserver.com