麻豆影视

Politics

    • Feds eye new powers to block platforms that fail to combat harmful content online

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    The federal government is proposing the creation of new powers to block online platforms that repeatedly refuse to take down harmful content, and is looking at new ways for CSIS and RCMP to play a role when it comes to combating online threats to national security and child exploitation content.

    In launching a new proposal for how to tackle harmful online content, Canada鈥檚 justice, public safety, and heritage ministers announced Thursday that they want to bring in new laws and regulations to force social media companies to be more accountable for five kinds of harmful content on their platforms: hate speech, child exploitation, the sharing of non-consensual images, incitements to violence, and terrorism.

    And, they鈥檙e looking at what role federal security and intelligence agencies could play in enforcing these new rules, as well as the potential to completely block access within Canada to platforms that fail to act on content on their services that is deemed harmful.

    Departmental officials outlined the proposal and issued detailing their legislative aims on Thursday.

    Specifically, the government is proposing to create new rules and a compliance regime for online communication services that would force these companies to address harmful content posted on their platforms, including a requirement to review and remove, if necessary, problematic content within 24 hours of the post being flagged.

    The sites may also be obliged, in certain circumstances, to preserve content and identifying information for potential future legal action. They could also have new options to alert authorities to potentially illegal content and content of national security concern if an imminent risk of harm is suspected.

    The proposal would also compel platforms to provide data on their algorithms and other systems that scour for and flag potentially harmful content, provide a rationale for when action is taken on flagged posts, and would install a new system for Canadians to appeal platform鈥檚 decisions around content moderation.

    The new regime comes with a series of proposed and severe new sanctions for companies deemed to be repeatedly non-compliant. These consequences would include fines of up to five per cent of the company鈥檚 annual global revenue or $25 million, whichever is higher.

    And, 鈥渁s a last resort,鈥 if an online platform repeatedly failed to remove child sexual exploitation material or terrorist content, the government would seek the legal ability to block Canadians from accessing that service at all, through a court injunction forcing telecommunications service providers to restrict access to that site or service.

    These aims would target what the government is calling 鈥渙nline communication service providers,鈥 such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Pornhub. The government said the aim of the legislation would be on public content posted to these platforms and not private communications like emails, text messages, or WhatsApp messages.

    鈥淧erson-to-person communications raise important considerations with respect to freedom of expression and privacy rights,鈥 said one Canadian Heritage official, speaking with reporters about the plan on a not-for-attribution basis.

    鈥淲e need this because what we're seeing, and what we've been seeing over the last few years is that violence and hate speech have been on the increase, on social media platforms鈥 Canadians have been asking us, the government, to intervene and that's exactly what we're doing,鈥 said Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault in an interview with 麻豆影视.

    A NEW COMMISSIONER, ROLE FOR CSIS

    In order to operate and adjudicate this new system, the government is looking to create a new 鈥淒igital Safety Commission of Canada鈥 that would be able to issue binding decisions for platforms to remove harmful content, ordering them to remove content when they 鈥済et it wrong.鈥

    The commission would include a new commissioner who would enforce the rules, evaluate complaints against online communication service providers, a 鈥渄igital recourse council鈥 to act as an independent tribunal system, and an advisory board that would provide expert advice on regulations.

    Officials said that it would be up to the commissioner to make decisions around compliance of the platforms and what the threshold of non-compliance would be for moving to block a platform outright, where the recourse council would be adjudicating individuals鈥 complaints about posts that haven鈥檛 been taken down and have the legal authority to order content be taken down.

    The commissioner would also be able to conduct inspections of online communication service providers and 鈥渕ay enter, at any reasonable time, any place in which they believe on reasonable grounds there is any document, information or any other thing, including computer algorithms and software, relevant to the purpose of verifying compliance and preventing non-compliance.鈥

    The proposal is to have the council and commissioner be able to conduct hearings behind closed doors 鈥渨here a public hearing would not be in the public interest, including where there is a privacy interest, national security interest, international relations interest, national defence interest, or confidential commercial interest.鈥

    Also included in this proposal are potential ways for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the RCMP to play enhanced roles. Specifically, the government is proposing changes to the mandatory reporting requirements involving the RCMP and child sexual exploitation offences, whole offering new latitude to CSIS when it comes to threats to national security and terrorism.

    If pursued, the measures would provide the agencies with the judicial authorization to obtain basic subscriber information like address and phone number, or transmission data like an IP address, that the government says would help quickly identifying perpetrators and would be subject to 鈥渃hecks and balances.鈥

    鈥淥ne of the principal issues right now is the sheer volume of extremist content online, and also the protections people have in their anonymity and the only way to take any action against the posters of this hateful content, and that which promotes violence, is to identify them,鈥 said a CSIS official at the briefing.

    CONSULTING UNTIL THE FALL

    Late in the parliamentary session, the Liberals tabled but did not advance Bill C-36, which proposes to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code to make it a discriminatory practice for individuals to communicate hate speech online. Officials said Thursday that this new initiative would link up with that bill.

    The government says it now wants to hear from stakeholders and citizens on the proposed approach and the new powers that would be provided. This comes after considerable public backlash over now-halted Bill C-10鈥檚 mixed messaging when it comes to regulating user-generated content.

    鈥淭he government recognizes this is a very complex space, and it engages many different issues,鈥 said an official.

    鈥淏y mandating website blocking, the government is creating a country-wide blocking system that will increase consumer Internet costs and gradually expand the scope of content blocking as lobby groups demand that it be used for additional purposes,鈥 suggested Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa law professor and the Canada Research Chair in internet and e-commerce law, in an initial reaction to the proposal.

    In a statement, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) President and CEO Byron Holland said that while Canadians are concerned about harmful online content, they are 鈥渁lso very concerned that new laws could result in the over-policing of speech, with legitimate, lawful content being taken down inappropriately.鈥

    鈥淭he government is going to have to work hard to strike a balance here, and make sure the blunt hammer of internet censorship isn鈥檛 used when more effective and proportionate responses are available,鈥 Holland said.

    Conservative justice critic Rob Moore issued a statement about the proposal, stating that while the Conservatives condemn hate speech and speech that incites violence, 鈥淐anada already has existing criminal law protection.鈥

    鈥淲e believe combating hate speech is best done using the Criminal Code with additional resources to be provided to law enforcement,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淎fter reviewing the proposal released today, we are deeply concerned with the Liberal鈥檚 plan to create an online speech regulator whose powers are overly broad and ill-defined. Canada鈥檚 Conservatives will follow the consultation process and review the eventual legislation with interest to ensure that the free speech rights of Canadians are protected.鈥

    In making their case for why these new measures are necessary, officials said Canadians have an appetite for more government involvement in regulating hate speech online and pointed to similar measures taken in Germany and Australia.

    The government cited a range of statistics, such as that one-in-five Canadians have experienced some form of online hate, with racialized Canadians being nearly three times more likely to have experienced harmful behavior online.

    The consultation will be until Sept. 25, with the responses received informing legislation they aim to table this fall, subject to the potential election outcome.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

    A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    Canada

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • The London Police Service (LPS) is currently investigating a suspicious death in the east end.

    • A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    • A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • A Calgary family on a trip to Chinook Centre experienced the lows and highs last week, when a stuffie went missing.

    • Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • How to win the fight with kids over phone use

      The end of the day 鈥 when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done 鈥 is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    Sports

    • Kiefer Sherwood spent several nights last spring chasing Quinn Hughes around the ice and generally pestering the Vancouver Canucks.

    • Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

    • A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    • The Vancouver Canucks have signed Finnish goaltender Kevin Lankinen to a one-year contract.

    • A 23-year-old man has been arrested after one person was found dead at a home in Richmond Hill Saturday morning.

    • Toronto police say they have now identified a third person who they believe was involved in a shooting that left two men dead in North York earlier this week.

    • A man is fighting for his life in hospital a day after a vehicle smashed into several others in and around an intersection in Milton before flipping over.

    • The water coming from your taps might be a bit murky Saturday, but Calgary remains on schedule to end all water restrictions on Sunday.

    • A Calgary family on a trip to Chinook Centre experienced the lows and highs last week, when a stuffie went missing.

    • An estimated 8,000 volunteers mobilized across the city Saturday as the Calgary Food Bank went door-to-door collecting food and funds.

    • A potential move to LeBreton Flats for the Ottawa Senators is still years away, but questions and concerns are already being raised about what to do with the Canadian Tire Centre.

    • The Taste of Wellington 2024 wraps up Saturday in Ottawa.

    • A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

    • The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a person of interest in connection with a suspicious fire that destroyed a multi-unit building and damaged several townhomes earlier this week.

    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • Two people have been charged after a daylight shooting in Red Deer earlier this week.

    • Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.

    • Pictou County District RCMP is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Thorburn, N.S., Saturday.

    • A proposal for additional parking to accommodate upgrades at the Irving Pulp & Paper Mill in Saint John, N.B., would add an estimated 500 parking spots at Wolastoq Park.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A herd of dogs paid visit to patients and residents at Riverview Health Centre during an annual event that lifts spirits and wags tails.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • Fire officials are investigating after a fire completely destroyed the community fridge in the Cathedral neighborhood.

    • The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.

    • Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.

    • The Cambridge Professional Fire Fighters鈥 Association held their annual Muscular Dystrophy Boot Drive on Saturday.

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating after a man鈥檚 body was found on Sweetgrass First Nation.

    • Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • A motorcyclist has died following a serious collision that took place in London鈥檚 south end on Friday afternoon.

    • The London Police Service (LPS) is currently investigating a suspicious death in the east end.

    • The St. Thomas police is asking the public for help locating a missing man.

    • The Barrie Skateboard Association (BSA) hosted a unique competition at the City's Skate Park on Saturday to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which showcased the park's importance and the growth of skateboarding in the region.

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • One person is in hospital after an e-bike crash in Orillia on Thursday.

    • The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is celebrating a year of festivities in anticipation of its 50th anniversary in 2025.

    • The St. Clair College golf teams were successful at the Niagara Knights Invitational tournament on Friday.

    • A LaSalle high school is celebrating its emerald anniversary this weekend, with everyone who has ever walked its halls invited to return.

    • A man who was found dead behind a curling rink in Nanaimo, B.C., earlier this month was the victim of a homicide, police confirmed.

    • A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way鈥檚 annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

    • Following an outbreak of COVID-19 on its continuing care floor and just ahead of the flu season, St. Joseph鈥檚 General Hospital in Elliot Lake has opted to re-introduce a universal masking policy until further notice.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视