No free speech? New 'Orwellian' law endorsed by Trudeau government could imprison people for life

NEW DELHI: A Canadian statute designed to enhance the safety of social media platforms has been met with criticism for perceived governmental overreach. The Online Harms Act, or Bill C-63, introduced recently, enables judges to sentence adults to life imprisonment for advocating genocide.

As per a Fox News report, critics, including Wall Street Journal columnist Michael Taube, have compared a segment of the law – which permits provincial judges to mandate house arrest and fines based on the belief that a defendant might commit an offense – to the premise of the 2002 movie, The Minority Report.

Margaret Atwood, renowned for her novel "The Handmaid's Tale," lambasted the bill as "Orwellian," highlighting the potential for misuse through false accusations and the policing of thought, reminiscent of historical authoritarian practices. She voiced her concerns on social media, stating, "If this account of the bill is true, it’s Lettres de Cachet all over again... Trudeau’s Orwellian online harms bill."

Conservative writer Stephen Moore described the bill in his piece "Writing in Public" as an unprecedentedly harsh measure against freedom, marking a significant departure from democratic norms in the Western world.

A survey by National Post indicates fewer than half of Canadians believe the federal government's proposed Online Harms Act, aimed at regulating social media sites, will make the platforms safer. While nearly 70% support the government’s plan to regulate online content, only 41% believe it will lead to safer platforms. About half of the respondents expressed concerns over the government's ability to protect free speech under this regulation.

The legislation intends to significantly toughen penalties related to hate speech, specifically raising the maximum sentence for advocating genocide from five years to life and increasing the penalty for promoting hatred from two years to five.

Justice Minister Arif Virani, the proponent of the bill, expressed his parental concerns about online dangers and underscored the lack of regulations for internet content, compared to physical toys, that threaten children's safety.