Justice Minister Reiterates Pledge for ‘Online Harms’ Legislation, Offers No Timeline: Report

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani speaks during a media availability after a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on July 26, 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

While attending a conference on antisemitism, Justice Minister Arif Virani said his government still intends to introduce a bill to counter what it calls “online harms,” despite offering no concrete deadline for the legislation.

“We need a safe and secure digital environment as much as we need safe streets in our communities,” Mr. Virani said, according to CBC News.

“We’ve got freedom of expression on one hand, which creates a vibrant democracy and allows us to differentiate ourselves from other parts of the world,” he said.

“And we’ve got the pressure to ensure that when people are communicating online, they’re not actually targeting groups, they’re not promoting or vilifying groups, promoting hatred or violence against them.”

The minister was attending an event organized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Ottawa on Oct. 17, along with other politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.

As the conference was taking place, pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested outside the venue against Israel and its retaliation for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on its civilians.

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The Liberal government has previously attempted to pass online harms legislation but it became obsolete when the last Parliament was dissolved in 2021. Work on a new bill has been under way since the Liberals got re-elected, but its tabling has not been identified as a priority for the fall House of Commons sitting.

The Liberals have been under significant pressure from the Conservatives on affordability and public safety issues, and Government House Leader Karina Gould said those would be among the government’s priorities.

Mr. Virani did not commit to a timeline for the tabling of the new legislation, when asked by reporters. “I’m trying to make sure we see it as soon as possible,” he said.

Mr. Virani received the biggest promotion during the July 26 cabinet shuffle, replacing David Lametti as justice minister and attorney general. He oversees issues relating to hate speech, which are already covered in the Criminal Code, while the online harms legislation is being prepared by Heritage Canada.

Then-heritage minister Pablo Rodriguez had said in the spring the bill would be tabled this fall at the latest, but also had not provided a concrete date. Mr. Rodriguez, now minister of transport, had hired a panel of experts to help the government craft its new online harms bill.

The panel’s recommendations were made public in June 2022, and while it said issues like online disinformation should be tackled, most experts advised “extreme caution” in defining the term in law. “Government-created definitions of disinformation cannot withstand public scrutiny,” they said.

The Liberal’s intent to table a new bill regulating online content is part of a suite of other legislation that has been passed, impacting what Canadians can see and hear on the internet.

In reaction to the June passage of Bill C-18, the Online News Act, Meta blocked the sharing of news links on its platforms. The government intends to force social media companies to pay news organizations for their display of links.

The revamping of the Broadcasting Act with Bill C-11 puts online content under the regulatory purview of the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission. The latest controversy surrounding that legislation pertains to the regulator telling podcast services with over $10 million in revenue to register with the commission.