Most FITAA provisions start August 4, 2026

Summary#

This Order fixes August 4, 2026 as the date when Part 4 of the Countering Foreign Interference Act takes effect, with some parts of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act held back. In plain terms, rules about reporting and publicly listing certain foreign-funded influence activities in Canada will start on that date, while a few provisions about Indigenous councils and certain public office-holder definitions are not starting yet.

What it does#

• Starts, on August 4, 2026, most of Part 4 of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (the FITAA), including:
  • creating and staffing the office of the Foreign Influence Commissioner of Canada,
  • requiring people and organizations who make arrangements with foreign principals to do certain influence work in Canada to give information to the Commissioner,
  • setting up a public registry with that information, and
  • giving the Commissioner powers to investigate and enforce the rules.
• Keeps out of force, for now:
  • paragraphs (c) and (d) of the definition of “public office holder,” and
  • paragraph 4(c) — these are the specific parts of the Act the Order excepts.
• Explains some key compliance details the FITAA already includes:
  • an obligation to register within 14 days of entering a covered arrangement,
  • penalties ranging from an administrative monetary penalty scheme to possible criminal prosecution, and
  • offences for failing to register, failing to update information, obstructing the Commissioner, or knowingly giving false information.

Who's affected#

• Individuals and organizations that enter into agreements with foreign principals to influence political or governmental processes at the federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal level.
• The Foreign Influence Commissioner of Canada and staff, who will run the registry and enforcement functions.
• People and groups that interact with or seek to influence councils, band governments, or other Indigenous governing bodies are not covered by the parts held back by this Order; it is unclear from the Order when those pieces will be started.

Why it matters#

• The change means certain foreign-funded influence activity must be reported and will be visible to the public. That can affect journalists, advocacy groups, lobbyists, consultants, academic or cultural organizations, and anyone doing paid influence work connected to a foreign principal.
• There are real consequences for not following the new rules, including fines and possible criminal charges.
• The temporary exclusion of rules about Indigenous councils and some public office-holder definitions means some influence directed at Indigenous governance is not yet captured; the Order does not say when those parts will take effect.