A Canadian-designed system that filters out non-resident comments has been adopted by Cloverdale-Langley City MP John Aldag to engage with residents of his riding.
The newly-launched PlaceSpeak page allows residents to participate in a poll on priorities for the riding or discuss issues.
They can also be notified of any upcoming events hosted by the MP.
“This made in Canada innovation allows me to consult with constituents directly by geographically limiting participation to only those who live in the riding” Aldag said.
“I am looking forward to getting input from residents in Cloverdale-Langley City on a wide range of issues such as upcoming legislation, hot issues and to get feedback on my work here at home and in Ottawa.”
PlaceSpeak, launched in 2011, was developed with the support of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC-IRAP), uses geo-verification technology to allow Aldag to hear exclusively from constituents in Cloverdale-Langley City while “deterring negative online behaviour such as trolling or spamming, facilitating respectful online dialogue amongst participants” an Aldag press release said.
Use of the platform has expanded beyond Metro Vancouver, throughout British Columbia and across Canada as well as sites in the USA, Northern Ireland, UK and Tasmania, Australia.
PlaceSpeak promises the personal information of participants will remain private and secure.
Personal information is never sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason. The dual emphasis on authentication and privacy renders PlaceSpeak unique in its approach to building legitimacy in the online citizen engagement process.
Residents of Cloverdale-Langley City can register and join the conversation from their computer or mobile device.
To learn more, visit http://placespeak.com/MPJohnAldag.
