Introduction (en)

This thematic issue examines a range of issues related to the digital realm in and for minority language communities. It focuses on official-language minority communities, particularly those of the Canadian Francophonie, while also engaging with broader issues affecting other linguistic minorities in Canada and beyond. Digital technologies now cut across a wide range of informational, cultural, social, and civic practices. This transversality underscores the need to strengthen digital and information literacy within the population, particularly in contexts marked by asymmetrical relationships between language, power, and digital techn ologies. In this regard, Jasiak et al. (2024) highlight disparities in Internet use among different demographic and socioeconomic groups in Canada. Launched in 2018, the Digital Literacy Exchange Program (DLEP) seeks to support training initiatives intended to “equip Canadians with the necessary skills to use computers, mobile devices, and the Internet safely, securely, and effectively” (Government of Canada, 2025). However, as Gurstein (2007) points out, the challenge is not limited to access to digital tools, but also involves the conditions that enable socially meaningful use, since access itself constitutes a new source of social power that remains unequally distributed. Consequently, discussions of digital divides are increasingly moving toward more nuanced understandings of these phenomena (Ventrella & Cotnam-Kappel, 2024). Digital and information literacy raises both broad concerns, such as combating online misinformation, and issues specific to minority linguistic contexts, particularly among young people, who make intensive use of the Internet and social media (St-Onge et al., 2023). These issues intersect with several of the thematic axes of this special issue, notably access to services in the minority language (health care, education, justice), linguistic and cultural vitality, and the online discoverability of content from minority contexts. They also relate to the preservation and renewal of languages and cultures within communities, as well as to the online visibility of their cultural and media content. The dynamics associated with these issues can strengthen a sense of community belonging and foster the emergence of new transnational virtual communities. Lastly, they are reshaping research methodologies—particularly in the social sciences and humanities—by illuminating the complexity of digital practices and their consequences. Michel and Paulin examine how the City of Moncton, New Brunswick, negotiates bilingualism at the administrative and political levels through the implementation of a digital democracy tool with significant social implications. In partnership with the municipality, the researchers undertake a qualitative study to analyze the impact of the participatory platform Jasons Moncton / Let’s Chat Moncton on the integration of French and English in online exchanges among citizens. Michel and Paulin show that institutional translation, often presented as a neutral technical solution, instead tends to exacerbate political tensions and social exclusion. Through their analysis, the authors call for a rethinking of digital democracy tools that takes into account linguistic diversity within online civic participation. In their article, Martine Cotnam-Kappel and Jean-Luc Ciocca explore the perceptions of elementary school teachers in Ontario regarding the digital and linguistic inequalities experienced by their Francophone students. Drawing on a thematic analysis of verbatim data from 22 semi-structured interviews, the authors identify three dimensions of inequality: access, skills, and agency. Cotnam-Kappel and Ciocca observe that these disparities are exacerbated by the linguistic dimension, notably due to the lack of digital resources in French, as well as challenges related to linguistic repertoire and linguistic security. The authors propose a set of educational avenues for action aimed at simultaneously strengthening the digital and traditional literacy of students. Beyond issues of equity and gap reduction, they advance the concept of digital empowerment as a broader educational and social objective—one that seeks not only to support student development …