Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani said Friday he害羞草研究所檚 open to amending the government害羞草研究所檚 long-awaited legislation aimed at protecting Canadians against online harms, while the Opposition Conservatives say the Liberals should instead move faster by modernizing existing laws.

Virani defended the Online Harms Act to the House of Commons Friday for the first time since he tabled the legislation back in February.

Since then, legal and privacy experts, as well as civil society advocates, have voiced concerns about its potential to limit free speech.

The bill would impose stiffer Criminal Code punishments for hate-related offences. Examples include up to life imprisonment for advocating genocide and giving a judge the power to restrict someone害羞草研究所檚 movements if they have evidence that person could potentially commit a hate crime.

The bill also establishes a new way for Canadians to file human rights complaints about hate speech.

害羞草研究所淐anadians should not be expected to have their right to protected speech chilled or limited in order to be safe online,害羞草研究所� said Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner.

Virani defended those measures by underlining how online hate 害羞草研究所渉as real world consequences,害羞草研究所� but said he害羞草研究所檚 open to suggestions from opposition parties.

Some advocates have suggested the government section off the controversial Criminal Code and Human Rights Act changes into a separate bill, and leave the Online Harms Act to deal exclusively with online content. Virani dismissed the idea.

害羞草研究所淚 want to be very clear about the Online Harms Act and what it does not do,害羞草研究所� he said in his speech on Friday.

害羞草研究所淚t does not undermine freedom of speech. It enhances free expression by empowering all people to safely participate in online debate.害羞草研究所�

The government plans to do that by compelling companies to submit safety plans to a new Digital Safety Commission that would outline how they will reduce the risk of exposing users to seven different types of dangerous content.

Those include images of sexual abuse of children, non-consensual sharing of imitate images, and material that can be used to bully a child or encourage them to commit self-harm.

The commission would field complaints and be able to levy hefty fines for platforms that do not comply.

害羞草研究所淔or too long, the profits of platforms have come before the safety of users,害羞草研究所� said Virani.

害羞草研究所淪elf-regulation has failed to keep our kids safe. Stories of tragedy have become far too common.害羞草研究所�

The minister pointed to the story of Amanda Todd, a 15-year-old from Port Coquitlam, B.C., who died by suicide in 2012 after she was harassed and bullied by an online predator in the Netherlands.

Rempel Garner said it害羞草研究所檚 important that Canadians are protected against online harms like 害羞草研究所渄eepfakes害羞草研究所� generated by artificial intelligence, and accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of inaction after his nearly decade in power.

She suggested the Liberals could move more quickly by instead expanding and updating the country害羞草研究所檚 existing laws and regulations to ensure they apply to the dangers of the digital world.

That would be in contrast to what she describes as an 害羞草研究所渙nerous害羞草研究所� process of establishing 害羞草研究所渁 new, three-headed, yet-to-exist bureaucracy害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭he point is,害羞草研究所� Rempel Garner said, 害羞草研究所渨e could come to consensus in this place on simple modernization issues that would update the laws now.害羞草研究所�

For example, she says MPs could simply legislate the creation of a digital restraining order for victims of online harassment.

In addition to creating a new Digital Safety Commission, the government also plans to create a new Digital Safety Office and a Digital Safety Ombudsperson of Canada, where users and victims could take their concerns.

Rempel Garner said she has asked the Parliamentary Budget Officer to analyze the cost of setting up the new bureaucracy.

She went on to call the bill 害羞草研究所渃ompletely flawed害羞草研究所� and said it 害羞草研究所渟hould be abandoned.害羞草研究所�

Meanwhile, NDP House Leader Peter Julian accused the government of being slow to introduce the bill in the first place. It was first promised years ago.

He said he害羞草研究所檚 concerned it does not mention ensuring companies are transparent about the algorithms they employ, which he said can cause users to be exposed to online hate and other dangers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2024.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press