Official Languages Committee on April 11th, 2016

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Thank you very much for being here today.

I will come back to your recommendations.

You said that the translation tool should only be used for comprehension purposes. You said you want to educate the departments about that.

In an ideal world, how should the departments be educated?

[Donald Barabé]

There needs to be a lot of communication. I wasn't there when things began to be put in place. For each translated text, there could be a warning that it is for the purposes of understanding, not communication. A whole communication exercise is needed.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

You also mentioned the risk that Google Translate poses for security. You spoke earlier about security classifications. Could you speak about the problem that Google Translate presents so I can ensure that we fully understand what it is.

[Donald Barabé]

Everything put in Google becomes its property. It's in your contract with Google. By using the service, you sign a contract. That's the way it is for all texts put in Google, either personally or as a public servant. Every time a public servant puts a government text in Google Translate, the text becomes Google's property, whether it has a security classification or not.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Should the warnings to the departments contain anything specific? Should we tell them not to use it to translate government or department texts and to use only the tool provided to them?

[Donald Barabé]

It wouldn't hurt.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

A warning like that would be as important as the warning you mentioned.

[Donald Barabé]

Absolutely.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

It should be specified with what the translation system produces that this is what is preferred for one reason or another.

[Donald Barabé]

Absolutely.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I'm going to share my time with my colleague.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

You have six minutes now and six minutes later.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Right.

[Alan Bernardi]

I would like to add something.

There's one thing that might be explored. The tool could be made available to Canadians, too, not just public servants. That's what the countries in the European Union do. Their machine translation tool was developed for the government, but now everyone can use it. It might keep Canada's trade secrets from being revealed.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I find that very interesting. When the tool is operated by computer software open to everyone, advertising revenue might be possible.

[Alan Bernardi]

It could happen.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

So because people would use the tool, advertising revenue might be generated.

[Alan Bernardi]

Potentially, yes.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Okay.

It's interesting because we would go for more. And it would stay in Canada. I imagine the servers are in Canada?

[Donald Barabé]

For this system, of course.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Not for Google?

[Donald Barabé]

No, absolutely not.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

We just want to make sure that the people in the back of the room are taking note of that.

[Donald Barabé]

Even if Google decided to put its servers in Canada, they would still be its property. They are included in what I said.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Okay, thank you.

I will now turn things over to my colleague, Mr. Arseneault.