When it comes to government information, there is no shortage of sensitive matters. As it turns out, a B次元官网网址渇un factB次元官网网址� about ocean critters is on the list.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada tweeted about the parasites that plague swordfish last November. Two days later, the tweet was deleted.

The reason? B次元官网网址淪ensitivities about the parasites,B次元官网网址� the department says.

B次元官网网址淲e recognized after posting that the use of the word B次元官网网址榩arasiteB次元官网网址� without more detail might leave a negative impression about swordfish and the fishery,B次元官网网址� spokesperson Kariane Charron said in an email.

It wasnB次元官网网址檛 the only time in recent history that a government department or agency regretted hitting the send button on a social media post.

Since 2019, tweets have been deleted for everything from mundane formatting errors and spelling mistakes to threatening comments or, in some cases, puns that didnB次元官网网址檛 quite land.

Conservative member of Parliament Michael Barrett requested details about the deletions in a written question, and the government recently tabled its reply in the House of Commons.

Last September, the Privy Council Office sent condolences out on Twitter after the death of Queen Elizabeth II B次元官网网址� but then discovered an inconsistency in the spelling of her name between the English and French versions of the message. It deleted and then reissued the post after deciding to stick with the English version of the deceased monarchB次元官网网址檚 name.

Parasites werenB次元官网网址檛 the only fodder for regret at Fisheries and Oceans. When the department tweeted out a video about the sustainability of the seafood industry, staff who had initially been angling for views ultimately decided that the B次元官网网址渁ngle of the message was wrong.B次元官网网址�

And the department found itself erasing another post, this time about a Coast Guard vessel that had transferred fuel to another ship. The tweet was scrubbed after staff discovered that the fuel was contaminated.

Staff behind a Twitter account for the governmentB次元官网网址檚 surplus purchasing website B次元官网网址� which includes goods forfeited by police B次元官网网址� kiboshed a post advertising a gold Rolex B次元官网网址渇ollowing an (inquiry) about the watch potentially being stolen.B次元官网网址�

There were more serious concerns at play behind some of the other decisions.

The RCMP has edited or deleted tweets from its national account at least 13 times, including last December. ThatB次元官网网址檚 when it apologized for promoting an online application for firearms licenses on the 33rd anniversary of the 脡cole Polytechnique massacre, when a gunman murdered 14 women and wounded 14 other people at the Montreal engineering school.

Last winterB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淔reedom ConvoyB次元官网网址� protests also prompted the Mounties to scrub at least four tweets about the Musical Ride, a specialized unit intended to promote the force. That came as a result of reported death threats against officers who are part of the unit, after their personal information was leaked through messages shared in an RCMP Musical Ride group chat.

Hate speech against women and LGBTQ people that had cropped up in the comments led the Treasury Board to delete posts themed on WomenB次元官网网址檚 History Month in September 2021.

While some of the deletions highlight the vitriol that exists on social media, others show the ways that staffers tried B次元官网网址� and perhaps failed B次元官网网址� to use the platforms for light-hearted humour.

On one occasion, the Canada Revenue Agency tried to turn the unofficial December holiday of B次元官网网址渘ational monkey dayB次元官网网址� into a chance to steer people to use its online portal.

Telling Canadians to B次元官网网址渂e a chimp-ion this tax seasonB次元官网网址� and describing the perks are B次元官网网址渁bsolutely a-peeling-in,B次元官网网址� the message featured monkey and banana emojis. That was deemed too risky, as it could be B次元官网网址渢aken out of context,B次元官网网址� the agency said.

On May 4, the National Research Council Canada tried to join in on the fun of whatB次元官网网址檚 colloquially known as Star Wars Day B次元官网网址� because B次元官网网址淢ay the fourth be with you.B次元官网网址�

But its tweet about meteorology was nixed two weeks later. The department got rid of the message, it said, after determining that the intergalactic content fell outside of its B次元官网网址渕andate.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擲tephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press