Your papers, please! Canadian Bill S-210 proposes age verification law for internet users.

There’s a bill working its way through the Parliament that presents a clear and present danger to the free and open internet, to freedom of expression and to privacy online. It’s a private member’s bill that shockingly has gotten traction.

In a nutshell, it will require any website on the entire global internet that makes sexually explicit material available to verify the age of anyone who wants access, to ensure that they are not under the age of eighteen. Keeping sexually explicit material away from kids sounds like a laudable goal and one that most people can get behind.

The devil, as they say, is in the details. It presents a real risk to privacy, a real risk to freedom of expression and a real danger to the open internet in Canada. The author of the Bill says it does none of that, but I believe she is mistaken.

You can track Bill S-210 and read the text here: https://www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/en/bill...

Professor Geist's commentary is here: https://www.michaelgeist.ca/tag/s-210/

The Bill's sponsor has a defence (FAQ) of the bill here: https://bills210-lois210.ca/

Where you can find me
► Privacylawyer blog: https://blog.privacylawyer.ca
► My law firm: https://www.mcinnescooper.com/people/...
► Twitter:   / privacylawyer  
► LinkedIn:   / davidtsfr.  .

Disclaimer: This is intended for education and information only and should not be taken as legal advice. If you need advice for your particular situation, you should seek out qualified counsel.

All views expressed are solely those of the creator and should not be attributed to his firm or any of its clients.