News Analysis
Will Canadian internet users be more likely to receive a visit from the police for something edgy they posted online if Ottawa’s new hate crime bill becomes law, similar to what is happening in the UK?
Conservative MPs raised that question in recent days after Justice Minister Sean Fraser introduced Bill C-9, also known as the Combatting Hate Act, in September.
Some of the MPs have voiced concern that Canada could become like the United Kingdom when it comes to freedom of expression, where tens of thousands of people have been arrested in recent years for content they posted online. The British government in August 2024 said that in recent cases of violence against immigrants, those “whipping up this action online” are engaging in “violent thuggery” just as those doing the actions directly, and will be dealt with by “the full force of the law.”…