Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says internet giants have didn’t hold children secure on-line.
Canada has unveiled draft laws that might power tech platforms to shortly take away on-line content material deemed dangerous, together with materials that sexualises kids and foments hate.
The On-line Harms Act, launched by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal authorities on Monday, would make tech firms liable for tackling seven classes of dangerous content material and improve felony penalties for spreading hate on-line.
Beneath the laws, Canadians would have the ability to request the removing of content material inside 24 hours, topic to a overview course of, and file complaints towards individuals spreading hateful speech at a human rights tribunal.
The seven classes of hurt outlined within the invoice are intimate content material communicated with out consent; content material that foments hatred; content material that incites violent extremism or terrorism; content material that incites violence; content material used to bully a toddler; and content material that induces a toddler to hurt themselves.
The laws would set up a brand new digital security fee to implement the requirements, which additionally embrace requiring platforms to introduce options to guard kids equivalent to parental controls and secure search settings.
Trudeau mentioned the laws would maintain tech firms accountable for dangerous content material they host and make on-line areas safer.
“For too lengthy, internet giants have didn’t hold children secure on-line,” he mentioned. “Far too typically, this has had devastating penalties.”
In a press release, the federal government mentioned it revered Canadians’ freedom of expression however everybody ought to have the ability to entry a web based surroundings “the place they’ll specific themselves freely, with out fearing for his or her security or their life”.
There was additionally an “pressing want for higher safeguards for social media customers, significantly kids”, it mentioned.
The invoice will likely be examined by a parliamentary committee after which go to the Senate for potential revisions earlier than it may turn into regulation.
The federal government’s proposals have generated fierce opposition from conservatives.
Conservative Celebration chief Pierre Poilievre, who has accused Trudeau of being “woke” and “authoritarian”, mentioned final week that the federal government’s plans would infringe on Canadians’ freedom of expression.
“What does Justin Trudeau imply when he says… the phrase hate speech?” Poilievre mentioned in remarks aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Company. “He means speech he hates.”
Canada’s proposals observe comparable laws in different Western international locations, together with the UK’s On-line Security Legislation, the European Union’s Digital Companies Act and content material moderation legal guidelines in the USA states of Florida and Texas.