Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says web giants have failed to keep children safe online.
Canada has introduced a bill that would force tech platforms to quickly remove online content deemed harmful, including material that sexualizes children and promotes hate.
The Online Harms Act, introduced Monday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, would hold technology companies responsible for addressing seven categories of harmful content and increase criminal penalties for spreading hate online.
Under the legislation, Canadians could request the removal of content within 24 hours, subject to a review process, and file complaints against people who spread hate speech before a human rights court.
The seven categories of harm defined in the bill are intimate content communicated without consent; hateful content; content that incites violent extremism or terrorism; content that incites violence; content used to bully a child; and content that encourages a child to harm themselves.
The legislation would establish a new digital safety commission to enforce the standards, which also include requiring platforms to introduce features to protect children, such as parental controls and safe search settings.
Trudeau said the legislation would hold technology companies accountable for the harmful content they host and make online spaces safer.
“For too long, web giants have failed to keep children safe online,” he said. “Too often, this has had devastating consequences.”
In a statement, the government said it respected Canadians' freedom of expression, but that everyone should be able to access an online environment “where they can express themselves freely, without fearing for their safety or their lives.”
There is also an “urgent need for better safeguards for social media users, particularly children,” he said.
The bill will be examined by a parliamentary committee and then go to the Senate for possible revisions before it can become law.
The government's proposals have generated fierce opposition from conservatives.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who 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 broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “He refers to the speech he hates.”
Canada's proposals follow similar legislation in other Western countries, including the UK's Online Safety Act, the European Union's Digital Services Act, and content moderation laws in the US states of Florida and Texas. .
