New Canadian bill aimed at protecting children online

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - Canada introduced a new bill aimed primarily at keeping children safe from internet predators.

The legislation, known as Bill C-63, aims to tackle sources of harm, including cyberbullying, content that induces children to self-harm, hate speech, stoking violence, terrorist content, child exploitation and the sharing of non-consensual images. It will be mandatory for social platforms to report online child pornography.

The intimate image sharing is of particular concern, fueled by deepfake artificial intelligence images such as the recent spate of graphic, fake images online of superstar Taylor Swift.

As well as being wary of harmful content, online platforms will be accountable for how they use the content. It is aimed at social media, live-streaming and user-uploaded adult content.

Social platforms are lumped under the banner of online services and they must act responsibly and “make certain content inaccessible.”

Justice Minister Arif Virani had the minister of state (online harms) added to his portfolio earlier this week “to assist” in the enforcement of the new legislation.

The bill, almost 100 pages, introduced Monday is not yet passed and there is expected to be heated debate among lawmakers, as the opposition Conservative party Monday labeled the bill “an attack on freedom of expression.”

But Virani said at a press conference that the government has been careful to not infringe on legitimate freedoms.

“It does not undermine freedom of speech,” he said.

Virani said he expects opposition to the bill from social platforms that fear the new legislation will cut into their earnings.

“Profit cannot be prioritized over safety,” he said. Virani said there will be significant financial penalties for those who contravene the provisions of the new bill.

Violators can also be subject to laws in the criminal code.