What are the parties promising on Harmful Online Content?

This is a page from the 2021 Canadian federal election.

Looking for a different election? Click here.

Harmful Online Content platforms

Here's what the 2021 Canadian election parties are promising.

Liberal

Introduce legislation within 100 days to combat serious forms of harmful online content, such as hate speech, terrorist content, content inciting violence, child sexual abuse material, & the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, making social media platforms accountable for the content they host.

Introduce legislation within its first 100 days to combat serious forms of harmful online content, specifically hate speech, terrorist content, content that incites violence, child sexual abuse material and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images.

This would make sure that social media platforms and other online services are held accountable for the content that they host. Our legislation will recognize the importance of freedom of expression for all Canadians and will take a balanced and targeted approach to tackle extreme and harmful speech.

Strengthen the Canada Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to more effectively combat online hate.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

Read less

Conservative

Clearly criminalise statements that encourage violence against people or identifiable groups, focusing on online incitement.
Provide $25M to law enforcement to quickly investigate online threats of violence, hate speech, & disinformation campaigns by foreign governments or extremist groups.
Require social media platforms to remove illegal content, such as content that incites violence.

We don't have any Bloc policies on Harmful Online Content.

NDP

Convene a national working group to counter online hate.
Make social media platforms responsible for removing hateful & extremist content before it can do harm.

Green

Fund data collection on the spread of online hate & real-world violence.
Support research & development to improve AI solutions for detecting misinformation, hate, & violence online.
Hold publishers of malicious disinformation to account.
Invest in initiatives & partnerships to increase access to accurate information.
Limit government to a regulatory role in monitoring & moderating online content.

1. Enshrine citizens’ digital rights, including ‘the right to not be profiled online.’

● Canada can follow the lead of the European Union, and listen to the recommendations of our national Privacy Commissioner. Regulations must distinguish between demographic profiling, and more manipulative psychometric profiling techniques.

2. Reduce spread of Misinformation.

● Support research & development to improve artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for detecting misinformation, hate, and violence online, so that this content can be de-emphasized and corrected.

● Position Canada as a global leader in requiring companies who run large-scale online platforms to detect and prevent proliferation of misinformation. Hold publishers of malicious disinformation to account.

3. Support ease of access to accurate information

● Invest in initiatives and partnerships that increase citizens’ opportunities and abilities to differentiate between misinformation, and higher-quality, verifiable, evidence-based content. This includes enhancing education in media and digital literacy for all age groups.

4. Protect civil liberties and freedom of expression.

● Limit government to a regulatory rather than hands-on role in monitoring and moderating online content, and build protections that prevent suppression of lawful and accurate content, no matter how critical of government policy it may be.

— Be Daring., retrieved 2021-09-11

Read less

Looking for the parties' positions on other topics?

See our full 2021 Canadian election platform comparison

Making a plan to vote can be overwhelming. We'll walk you through it step-by-step.Take a step-by-step guide to the election.Step-by-step election guide:GoGet started