By Canadian Press

Minister tight-lipped on whether it’s looking at new regulator to fight online harms

Dec 1, 2023 | 1:23 PM

OTTAWA — Justice Minister Arif Virani is keeping tight-lipped about whether the federal government is considering a new regulator that would hold online platforms accountable for protecting users from harmful content. 

Asked about the prospect of a new agency, Virani says the government is looking at the consultations that have been done to date and how other countries have confronted the issue. 

Virani’s response comes after a group of experts, assembled by the government last year to advise on a prospective new law, penned an open letter urging the government to hurry up with the bill. 

Those experts and others say the legislation must create a regulator that has the power to investigate and audit platforms, order corrective actions and impose fines.

Virani says the government is working with online companies while also looking at best practices in other jurisdictions.

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The Canadian Heritage Department was originally responsible for drafting the legislation before Justice,  which oversaw new laws governing foreign streaming services and online news, took over after a cabinet shuffle in July. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2023. 

The Canadian Press