Facebook, YouTube to face new rules under Canada online law
BNN Bloomberg
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government introduced an online safety law in Canada, joining European countries in trying to compel internet companies to actively regulate and remove harmful content.
The Online Harms Act, introduced in parliament on Monday, will make platforms responsible for reducing exposure to damaging content, including material that bullies or sexually victimizes children, or incites extremism, violence or hatred.
The law will cover companies that offer social media platforms, live-streamed video and user-uploaded adult content, as long as they meet a certain threshold of users, a figure that will be determined in later regulations. Firms such as Google’s YouTube and Meta Platforms Inc. are expected to be affected.
It will also create a regulatory body called the Digital Safety Commission to enforce rules, receive complaints and order removal of content. An independent digital safety ombudsperson will also support and advocate for users.
