Support Online Harms Legislation Today
Canadians are increasingly turning to social media platforms for news and commentary on the issues of the day. Unfortunately, this means that we are also subjected to, and are often victims of, disinformation, misinformation and illegal and harmful content.
This is particularly true for women, journalists and marginalized communities, who face a daily barrage of harassment and hate on social media.
An Amnesty International study has found that nearly a quarter of women have received some form of misogynistic abuse online. Over 40% reported feeling physically unsafe as a result.
Ipsos polling has demonstrated that among Canadian journalists and media workers, this number is as high as 65%. One third of those surveyed have even considered leaving the profession altogether. The vast majority agree that instances of online hate are steadily increasing.
These issues are especially magnified for racialized Canadians, who are almost three times more likely to experience online hate.
During the last election campaign, the Liberals promised to reintroduce online harms legislation within the first 100 days of their mandate. Instead, they brought together an expert advisory group, which was ultimately unable to reach consensus on many key issues.
Meanwhile, the big tech platforms continue to allow the spread of toxic and hateful content online, demonstrating again and again that they will never take meaningful action to combat this issue on their own.
They must be held accountable.
That is why we need your help. Tell Ottawa to stand up to the social media giants today, by introducing long promised legislation to combat online harms.