According to reports, a proposed legislation in Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration will grant judges the authority to impose lifelong imprisonment on adults who promote genocide through online platforms.
Fox News reported the new bill would allow LIFE imprisonment for offenders, also saying, “The law would also allow a provincial judge to impose house arrest and a fine if there were reasonable grounds to believe a defendant ‘will commit’ an offense.”
Following the introduction of the bill by Justice Minister Arif Virani, he expressed his concerns as a father regarding the potential risks children may face on the internet. Virani further highlighted the absence of laws governing the safety of screens, in contrast to the existing regulations for toys.
The Fox report prompted a swift response from social media users, with one individual expressing their concern for the future of free speech by stating, “Rest in peace free speech.” Another person criticized the prime minister, accusing Trudeau of assuming dictatorial powers in Canada. According to the Government of Canada’s official website, Bill C-63, also known as the Online Harms Act, was introduced in late February with the aim of addressing online harms.
The site said it was a “baseline standard for online platforms to keep Canadians safe—to hold online platforms accountable for the content they host.”
“Bill C-63 will create stronger protections for kids online and better safeguard everyone in Canada from online hate. The bill sets out a new vision for safer and more inclusive participation online,” the webpage continued:
“The proposed Online Harms Act would specifically target seven types of harmful content”:
– Content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor;
– Intimate content communicated without consent;
– Content used to bully a child;
– Content that induces a child to harm themselves;
– Content that foments hatred;
– Content that incites violence; and
– Content that incites violent extremism or terrorism.
CTV News reported on Wednesday that a recent survey revealed that less than 50% of Canadians believe that the plan to regulate social media will lead to a safer online environment. The polling firm Leger conducted a survey and found that respondents expressed concerns about the government’s ability to safeguard free speech. However, a majority of participants supported the contentious proposal to impose stricter penalties for hate speech crimes. In 2019, Trudeau instructed his ministers to develop legislation aimed at addressing “hate speech” on the internet.
