What was Bill C-63?
Bill C-63, also known as the Online Harms Act, was the second attempt by the federal government to pass legislation to regulate online harms since 2021.2 The bill bundled several distinct issues, including online child protection, incitement to violence, better regulating online platforms, and some concerning changes to Canada’s Human Rights Act and Criminal Code.
These last changes rightfully raised concerns about censorship and free expression, and OpenMedia and other rights-defenders called on the government to split these parts of the bill off, leaving only the Online Harms Act itself to be debated, amended, and passed.3
We were almost there: the previous government promised splitting Bill C-63 in December 2024!4 But when the Parliament was prorogued in January 2025, the bill 'died on the order paper' before a government dissolution.5
What is the worst harmful content we’re talking about?
Bill C-63 identified several categories of already illegal harmful content for better online regulation. These included child sexual abuse material, intimate content shared without consent, and content that encourages a child to self-harm or is used to bully them.
It also covered content that incites hatred, violence, or violent extremism. Bill C-63 would have held platforms to a ‘duty to act responsibly’ around these severe harms; they’d have to think about how to mitigate their spread on their platforms without disproportionately damaging their users’ rights. View our explainer for more details.
Why do we need rights-respecting regulations?
Because we can do a lot better than our Internet current status quo. Canada’s been trying—and struggling—for years to deal with harmful online content. The original harmful content proposal in 2021 was rushed, vague, and dangerously heavy on censorship and surveillance.6 After years of pressure from experts and people like you, the government went back to the drawing board. What came out—Bill C-63—was far from perfect, but a big step forward.
Parts of that bill (specifically Parts 1 and 4) showed real promise: they focused on reducing child exploitation and illegal hate speech, while respecting our freedom of expression and not pushing platforms to spy on us. With the right fixes, those sections could’ve become model legislation—something Canadians could be proud of.
Bill C-63 died and we have a new government, so why are we talking about it?
On paper, we’re right back where we started: we still need strong laws to tackle real online harms, but it’s unclear how this new government plans to get there. So far, their focus has been mostly on Artificial Intelligence with little mention of a broader plan for other digital policies like online safety.7
We were THIS close to a huge win-win: protecting people from serious harms while respecting and defending our digital rights. Now, the new Carney government faces a choice: carry forward Bill C-63’s careful compromise that took years to build—or start over, risking either inaction or another rights-violating mess.
The path is clear. Bring back the good part of the Online Harms Act. Make it stronger. Make it rights-respecting. And let’s finally get this done—for our online safety, AND our freedoms.
That’s why now’s the time to speak up! This parliament is filled with new MPs who need to hear that Canadians care about BOTH our online safety and our digital rights. If we don’t keep the pressure on, those promises to make the Internet a better place could slip through the cracks — AGAIN!
Send your message now and make sure your MP knows this matters to you!