Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Justice Minister Sean Fraser's, drive to pass "online harms" legislation should alarm Canadians — although there is some good in the policy with measures specifically addressing child pornography mitigation.
The legislation, revived from 2024, aims to curb online “hate speech” through a Digital Safety Commission empowered to order content removal within 24 hours and impose $20,000 fines.
Carney has criticized platforms like X for spreading misogyny and conspiracy theories, signalling aggressive regulation. The core issue is who defines “hate speech.”
Under amendments to the Criminal Code, maximum penalties for existing hate propaganda offences are heightened, including up to life imprisonment for advocating or promoting genocide (previously five years), five years for public incitement of hatred (up from two), and two years for willful promotion of hatred (up from two on indictment).
Bureaucrats, potentially influenced by the Prime Minister’s Office, could broadly interpret the term, targeting controversial opinions on immigration, climate, or Indigenous issues.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association warns of “overbroad violations” of free expression, risking Charter protections under Section 2(b). Platforms face multimillion-dollar penalties, likely leading to preemptive censorship of lawful speech.
Canadians—activists, small businesses, or everyday posters—could be silenced if algorithms overcorrect. X users already fear a crackdown, with one viral post stating, “So much for freedom of speech.”
Canadians must demand clear safeguards to prevent bureaucratic overreach from stifling open discourse.