Canada’s Online Harms Act: Navigating digital safety and free speech

Mar 14

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

The Canadian government has introduced the Online Harms Act, a bill aimed at curbing hate speech and harmful content on social media platforms. The legislation has ignited a national conversation about the balance between ensuring digital safety and safeguarding individual freedoms.

The bill proposes the creation of a Digital Safety Commission and the assignment of a digital safety ombudsperson, tasked with enforcing new safety measures and providing support for victims of online abuse.

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Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act are central to the bill’s strategy to combat a spectrum of online harms, including child sexual victimization, bullying and hate speech.

Critics, including notable Canadian author Margaret Atwood, have expressed concerns over what they describe as the bill’s Orwellian implications. They fear it could lead to false accusations and infringe upon freedom of thought.

Under the proposed law, advocating genocide could result in life imprisonment, and the Canadian Human Rights Commission would gain new powers to tackle online hate speech. The bill also focuses on protecting children from harmful online content, introducing bureaucratic bodies like the Digital Safety Commission to oversee the enforcement of these new regulations.

Government Gaslighting Again?: Unpacking the Uncomfortable Reality of the Online Harms Acthttps://t.co/cB42m20d9G pic.twitter.com/DOgUCXKPpf
— Michael Geist (@mgeist) March 13, 2024

While supporters argue the legislation is essential for creating safer online environments, particularly for children, and liken the need for regulation to that of physical product safety, opponents are concerned it could be used to suppress free speech under the guise of combating hate speech.

Tags: Canada, Hate speech, Social Media

LAUREN TAYLOR

CANADA HAS INTRODUCED A BILL KNOWN AS THE ONLINE HARMS ACT TO ADDRESS HATE SPEECH AND HARMFUL CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. THIS BILL HAS SPARKED SIGNIFICANT DEBATE CONCERNING THE DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN ENSURING ONLINE SAFETY AND PROTECTING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS.

ON ONE SIDE, THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION’S AIM TO ESTABLISH A DIGITAL SAFETY COMMISSION AND A DIGITAL SAFETY OMBUDSPERSON TO ENFORCE NEW SAFETY MEASURES AND SUPPORT VICTIMS. BY AMENDING THE CRIMINAL CODE AND THE CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACT, THE BILL SEEKS TO ADDRESS A WIDE RANGE OF ONLINE HARMS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CHILD SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION, BULLYING, AND HATE SPEECH.

HIGH-PROFILE FIGURES, INCLUDING AUTHOR MARGARET ATWOOD, HAVE VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT THEY CALL THE ORWELLIAN NATURE OF THE BILL, FEARING IT COULD ENABLE FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND INFRINGE ON FREEDOM OF THOUGHT.

THE LEGISLATION PROPOSES LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR ADVOCATING GENOCIDE AND EMPOWERS THE CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO ADDRESS ONLINE HATE SPEECH. IT ALSO AIMS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM HARMFUL ONLINE CONTENT, WITH NEW BUREAUCRACIES LIKE THE DIGITAL SAFETY COMMISSION BEING ESTABLISHED TO ENFORCE THE FRAMEWORK.

SUPPORTERS ARGUE THAT THE BILL IS NECESSARY TO MAKE ONLINE SPACES SAFER, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN, AND TO REGULATE THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE SIMILAR TO HOW PHYSICAL PRODUCTS ARE REGULATED FOR SAFETY. HOWEVER, OPPONENTS FEAR IT COULD MISUSE HATE SPEECH DEFINITIONS FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.