Canada introduced New Online Harms Act with heavy fines

Canada has introduced a new “Online Harms Act” by imposing heavy fines and strict laws, including life sentences in jail. The government of Canada has presented a bill to prevent online abuse and hate crimes by implementing strict laws.

The newly introduced “Online Harms Act” by Canada mandates social media platforms to remove content that sexualizes children within 24 hours. Publishers of social media, websites, and live-streaming platforms will have to follow the rules while uploading “user adult content.”

Canada introduces sweeping new online safety rules https://t.co/ziPMC8x19C
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 27, 2024

However, the Canadian parliament has yet to vote on this law. The proposed act identifies seven categories of dangerous content providers must delete from their websites. These categories include:

Content includes posts that harass children

Social media content that encourages a child to commit self-harm

Content that victimized a child sexually

Sexual content communicated without the consent of the receiver

Hatred and propaganda content

Content that incites extremism, violence, and terrorism

The proposed law would establish a “Digital Safety Commission of Canada” to govern internet platforms. Justice Minister Arif Virani stated they know that the harm they experience online can have real-world consequences that are tragic and sometimes fatal.

Click here to find out why British Columbia imposed a 2-year ban on international students

According to Minister Arif, so much online data goes unchecked. He emphasized that the proposed law would prohibit deep fakes, such as the recent popular photos of Taylor Swift’s head on a naked woman’s body.

Minister Arif clarified that private messages communicated between individuals would be exempt from the terms and conditions of the law. However, the parliamentary committee and the senate will review this law, both of which may propose changes to the final draft.

However, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also intends to modify the criminal code to strengthen hate crime punishments. Hence, it includes a new charge punishable by up to life in prison for individuals found guilty of inciting genocide.