CARPAY: Online hate censorship bill will do more harm than good

Online hate is back in the news, with Canada’s Justice Minister Arif Virani promising new legislation to extend government control over what Canadians see, hear and read on the internet. Proposed new laws could be used to impede Canadians’ access to information online.

When first introducing Bill C-36 in 2021, the federal government proposed addressing online harm in five categories: hate speech, terrorist content, incitement to violence, child sexual exploitation and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.

According to one media report, Justice Minister Virani stated "We need a safe and secure digital environment as much as we need safe streets in our communities.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Chinese Canadian National Council for Justice are reportedly among the groups now calling for online harms legislation.

The willful promotion of hatred (online and everywhere else) is already a criminal offence in Canada, but it seems these groups wish to further empower the state with the ability to control and punish both emerging platforms and established social media providers who fail to block whatever content the government may deem “hateful.”More...

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