NEW CANADIAN BILL TO FORCE TECH FIRMS TO REMOVE ‘HARMFUL’ CONTENT ONLINE

Wed 27 February 2024:

A proposed law in Canada would compel digital platforms to take down any harming online content—such as hateful and child-sexing content—as soon as it was discovered.

The bill, referred to as Bill C-63, attempts to address a number of harmful sources, such as hate speech, terrorist content, child exploitation, sharing of non-consensual photos, hate speech, and content that encourages children to self-harm. Social media sites will have to report any online child pornography.

Intimate picture sharing is especially concerning because of deepfake artificial intelligence photos, like the graphic, phony pictures of famous person Taylor Swift that have been circulating recently.

Online platforms will be responsible for how they use the content in addition to being cautious of harmful information. It targets adult content uploaded by users, live streaming, and social media.

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

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

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.

“Web giants have failed”

Trudeau said the legislation would hold tech companies accountable for harmful content they host and make online spaces safer.

“For too long, web giants have failed to keep kids safe online,” he said. “Far too often, this has had devastating consequences.”

In a statement, the government said it respected Canadians’ freedom of expression but everyone should be able to access an online environment “where they can express themselves freely, without fearing for their safety or their life”.

There was also an “urgent need for better safeguards for social media users, particularly children”, it said.

“Authoritarian”

The government’s proposals have generated fierce opposition from conservatives.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has accused Trudeau of being “woke” and “authoritarian”, said last week that the government’s plans would infringe on Canadians’ freedom of expression.

“What does Justin Trudeau mean when he says… the word hate speech?” Poilievre said in remarks aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “He means speech he hates.”

The bill will be examined by a parliamentary committee and then go to the Senate for possible revisions before it can become law.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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