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.
