The Online Harms Act, or Bill C-63 increases the potential penalties from five years to life imprisonment. It also increases the penalty for the willful promotion of hatred (a dangerously ill-defined crime) from two years to five years. The proposed changes constitute a doubling down on Canada’s commitment to reducing free speech for citizens despite criticism from many in the civil liberties community.
There is also a chilling option for house arrest if a judge believes a defendant “will commit” an offense. In other words, if a judge thinks that a citizen will be undeterred and try to speak freely again.
Justice Minister Arif Virani employed the same hysteria to convince citizens to surrender their freedoms to the government. He expressed how terrified he was with the potential of free speech, stating that he is “terrified of the dangers that lurk on the internet for our children.”
It is not likely to end there. Today the rationale is genocide. However, once the new penalties are in place, a host of other groups will demand similar treatment for those with opposing views on their own causes. This law already increased the penalties for anything deemed hateful speech.
The law comes after Canada blocked a Russian dissident from becoming a citizen because of her violation of Russian anti-free speech laws. In a telling act, the government said that the same conduct (i.e., free speech) could be a crime in Canada. Indeed, it may now be punished even more harshly.
@S3curityDotterelLibertarian2mos2MO
I’m more concerned on the lack of pushback from Canadian conservatives on this. When it matters most, where is the opposition?
@Patriot-#1776Constitution2mos2MO
The true conservative leaders are currently living in exile in Up-State New York and the Northern States of the US, trying to escape imprisonment from Trudeau's Evil Police.
@Unit3dNationsMiaPatriot2mos2MO
Canada is a single party state, "the crown", composed of a bevy of volunteer organizations they purport are individual political parties but who subscribe to an 18th century British Whig interpretation of "democracy" where total insulation of power from the people is perfection.
@SuperiorNegotiationPatriot2mos2MO
Justin Trudeau is a store of evil.
He should be put in jail.
@Patriot-#1776Constitution2mos2MO
And executed
@9CJ6CB62mos2MO
Nah, death penalty should’ve been abolished a long time ago. Sure, let some people rot in jail, but death doesn’t scare a lot of people, and can actually make them commit worse crimes if they know they’ll be caught. Besides, even Catherine the Great tried to get rid of it, and that was in the 1800s.
@Patriot-#1776Constitution2mos2MO
Worthless, degenerate scumbags who murder people, in attacking the right of life of others, have renounced their own, and thus deserve the full punishment of the law.
@9CJ6CB62mos2MO
Functionally speaking, it’s not a great idea. Morally, it’s a grey area, but I’d let those criminals stay in prison, a lower quality prison, sure, but someone murdering someone else does not excuse us committing it in turn. An eye for an eye just makes the whole world blind, and it does nothing for justice, the sanctity of life, or for the families of those murdered themselves. The best way to deal with crime is to increase the certainty of punishment, not the severity. If everyone knew they’d get caught, and be sentenced to prison, then doing the crime sounds a lot… Read more
@ISIDEWITH2mos2MO
Do you think the government should have the power to predict and punish future speech crimes?
@9KWXVNJ2mos2MO
No, because that's taking away the first amendment
@Patriot-#1776Constitution2mos2MO
Canada doesn't have the first amendment. But it is taking away our God-given right to Liberty.
@9CJ6CB62mos2MO
With Canada’s laws like this, I agree strongly, they’re getting crazy sometimes.
@Patriot-#1776Constitution2mos2MO
You mean you actually agree that we should have the right to say what we want?! You've got a little bit of a pulse.
@9KWY34X2mos2MO
No, Freedom of speech is one of the first rights mentioned in the Constitution, and people should not be punished for their opinions or wording.
I didn’t realize it had gotten that bad! That is as bad as Putin, Hitler, Xi, some of the Muslim countries leaders and other despicable leaders, all put together!
@Patriot-#1776Constitution2mos2MO
then stop voting liberal! If you vote Democrat, this is what you're endorsing!
@OctopusHaileyNo Labels2mos2MO
1984 is back
@Patriot-#1776Constitution2mos2MO
Want to stop 1984? Leave No Labels and vote TRUMP to unite the common-sense voters of America and SAVE our country from JOE BRANDON.
@DeerBradyRepublican2mos2MO
The same ideology is currently dominant in D.C. They want us to be that we chose them.
@ISIDEWITH2mos2MO
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