Growing pressure is mounting on the federal Liberal government to honor its 2021 campaign commitment to regulate technology companies and safeguard children from dangerous online content. A Calgary-based organization is leading the charge, asserting that the government has delayed action for far too long.
What Happened to the Online Harms Act?
The controversy centers around Bill C-63, widely known as the Online Harms Act. This comprehensive legislation aimed to monitor online material that bullies children, promotes self-harm, incites violence and terrorism, sexualizes minors or abuse victims, and distributes non-consensual explicit content.
The proposed bill failed to pass through Parliament before the spring federal election after facing opposition from civil society groups and political parties concerned about potential free speech restrictions. In reaction, the federal government suggested dividing the legislation into two separate components—one focusing on harmful online content and another addressing hate speech.
Advocates Issue December 31 Deadline
Children's safety advocates are now urgently calling for the federal government to reintroduce the first portion of this legislation before the year ends. They're demanding the creation of an independent regulator with enforcement powers capable of ensuring platform compliance and imposing penalties for violations by December 31, 2025.
The coalition is also requesting a significant rebranding of the proposed law. They want it renamed the Online Safety Act to better reflect its intended purpose.
"While online harms certainly need addressing," explained Sara Austin, founder and CEO of Calgary-based Children First Canada, "the legislation's primary objective is to create secure digital environments. Placing safety at the core of the title helps us concentrate on what we're ultimately trying to accomplish."
Four Years of Delayed Protection
Austin expressed deep frustration with the prolonged delays in implementing legislation that the Liberals initially promised nearly five years ago.
"We've waited years for government action, and with each passing day, children endure significant harm," said Austin, who is mother to a 15-year-old son. "I've personally met parents who have buried their children following terrible cases of online exploitation."
Multiple organizations are joining the call for stricter regulations, citing alarming statistics from Canadian protection agencies. Cybertip, Canada's national reporting line for child sexual exploitation, documented a 45% increase in incidents between 2022 and 2023.
Even more concerning, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection reported that sexual extortion cases surged by 150% nationwide between December 2021 and May 2022. This troubling trend continued with an additional 85% increase between December 2022 and August 2023.
