New online harms bill would force major online services to quickly take down harmful sexual content
CTV
In an effort address what it sees as the rising risk of harmful online content, the federal government has unveiled a new bill proposing a sweeping suite of new requirements for platforms and the creation of a new digital safety oversight body to compel these popular sites to act or face penalties.
In an effort address what it sees as the rising risk of harmful online content, the federal government has unveiled a new bill proposing a sweeping suite of new requirements for platforms and the creation of a new digital safety oversight body to compel these popular sites to act or face penalties.
Included in the bill are also enhancements to Canada's punishments for hate propaganda and the sharing of child sexual exploitation material.
Justice Minister Arif Virani tabled the long-awaited piece of legislation on Monday.
"It is shocking what is available online," said Virani. "This bill targets the worst of what we see."
Bill C-63, the "Online Harms Act" as it has been named, focuses on seven categories of harmful content:
The aim of this legislation, according to government officials who provided a briefing on the contents of the nearly 90-page bill, is twofold: reducing users' exposure to harmful content; and making online services accountable for and transparent about how they handle harmful material on their platforms.
"Right now where your posts go, and what appears in your feed are dictated by platforms. Through this bill, we are restoring more of that power to you," the justice minister said.
