Roundup: Online harms bill finally tabled

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The long-awaited online harms bill was tabled yesterday, to much fanfare. The bill would create obligations for web giants to build in certain safety features, and creates a new Digital Safety Commission to oversee this, along with an ombudsman to help people navigate the process if they have been victimised and need content taken down. There are prescriptive processes that give companies 24 hours to remove certain content if flagged (most of it is child sexual exploitation or the sharing of intimate images), but there are very narrow criteria. There are also new Criminal Code provisions around making hate speech a standalone offence instead of an aggravating factor, and restores the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s ability to be an avenue for redress for hate speech for those who don’t want to go through the criminal route, albeit with a tighter definition and more ability to dismiss vexatious complaints than the previous system.

To that end, here are five things the bill does, a list of recent examples of online harms inflicted upon youth in recent years, while the mother of Amanda Todd is calling on Parliament to pass the bill swiftly so that other youth are protected.

As for opposition reaction, the Conservatives have point-blank called this censorship, which seems to be opening themselves up to charges that they don’t care about the safety of children and youth online. The Bloc say they’re going to read it over before supporting, while the NDP, seeing this on the Order Paper, tried to give one last attempt to sound tough about the government not introducing this sooner, so that they can launch another data-mining petition.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Ukrainian forces downed nine out of 14 Russian drones and three guided missiles overnight on Monday. Ukrainian forces had to fall back from the village of Lastochkyne near Avdiivka, as Russian forces continue to press ahead while Ukrainian forces suffer from a lack of ammunition. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the Black Sea corridor, which is getting grain to countries in need, is in jeopardy without more US aid.

https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1762133928406626660

Good reads:

  • After meeting with his Polish counterpart in Warsaw, Justin Trudeau says that Canada is on a path to increasing its defence spending.
  • Government House Leader Steve MacKinnon tabled a motion to allow for evening sittings, and to allow for “health brakes” in the event of another vote-a-thon.
  • The federal government hasn’t said whether they will extend the special programme allowing Iranians to stay if they fear persecution from the regime if they return.
  • The military ombudsman is once again demanding independence and to report to Parliament (which makes no sense as they have no influence over the military).
  • Big city mayors met in Ottawa to complain about being called “gatekeepers” by Poilievre, and to demand more money from the federal government (of course).
  • A group of Black workers has filed an international complaint against the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for their discrimination against Black staff members.
  • A senior Competition Bureau official told committee that bundled wireless plans aren’t as cheap as before the Shaw-Rogers merger (that they opposed). Shocking!
  • NDP MP Lori Idlout isn’t feeling too sympathetic about southern Canadians’ complaints about cost of living given the reality of the situation in Nunavut.
  • Doug Ford is doubling down on his insistence that he needs to appoint “like-minded” judges, in spite of the outcry of the damage he’s causing.
  • Justin Ling delves into the symbiotic relationship between (mostly) right-wing politicians and paranoid, conspiratorial “junk” news outlets.

Odds and Ends:

My Loonie Politics Quick Take points out that there is plenty to talk about CBSA without focusing on ArriveCan.

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