Canada's long-awaited online harms bill is coming. Here's what we know
CTV
Years in the making, the federal government is poised to introduce a new piece of legislation on Monday aimed at addressing a series of online harms.
Years in the making, the federal government is poised to introduce a new piece of legislation on Monday aimed at addressing a series of online harms.
The bill will have a significant focus on protecting children with specific obligations for platforms, according to a senior government source who was not authorized to speak publicly about details yet to be made public.
It will also seek to address non-consensual AI porn deepfakes, though the legislation is not expected to provide law enforcement with new powers, the source said.
Put on the notice paper for Monday's return to the House of Commons, the bill proposes to enact the "Online Harms Act" and advance amendments to the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act, as well as laws regarding the mandatory reporting of internet child pornography.
This is not the first time the Liberals have tried to advance legislation to this effect, but after experts panned the first proposal as flawed, the government went back to the drawing board to reshape its plans amid an evolving online environment.
Government officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Department of Justice will hold a technical briefing for reporters on Monday afternoon, followed by a press conference led by Justice Minister Arif Virani at 5:15 p.m. ET, according to a media advisory.
Ahead of the bill's tabling, here's what you need to know.
It’s an extra long March Break for some students in Nova Scotia following a spring snowfall.
Ontario to seize ownership of Toronto Island Airport lands and declare it is a special economic zone
Premier Doug Ford says the provincial government will be seizing ownership of city-owned lands at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport and declaring it a special economic zone, invoking new powers that will allow it to override environmental and other regulations.
Saskatchewan’s highest court has dismissed an appeal in the case of a years-long land dispute between the Village of Buena Vista and local landowners.
A participant in the 18th Annual Montreal Lake Walleye Derby is alleged to have violated derby rules over the weekend.
Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts. Here’s a primer on how things could change.
A member of Manitoba’s government caucus and the first First Nations woman elected to the province’s legislature has died.
An Air Canada jet travelling from Montreal to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport Sunday night crashed into a fire truck after landing on a runway, killing the flight’s two pilots and injuring dozens of passengers. Follow for live updates.
Multiple people were forced out of their homes following a blaze at a Calgary five-plex on Monday.
Six people, including a baby, were taken to a southern Ontario hospital on Sunday after an SUV slammed into a GO Transit bus.
Londoners will need to bundle up to start the week, with a chilly and blustery Monday on tap.
A 15-year-old girl from Bridgewater, N.S., is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing today after alleged threats to schools in Nova Scotia and Manitoba.
Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts. Here’s a primer on how things could change.
One of the six co-working spaces for federal public servants in the national capital region is set to close this spring, just weeks before federal employees will be required to spend more time in the office.