Regulator to stop online sexual exploitation of children: minister

The federal government will introduce legislation to create a new regulator that will ensure online platforms remove harmful content, including depictions of children and intimate images that are shared without consent.

Speaking to the House of Commons ethics committee, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said Monday that sexual exploitation of children online presents challenges because perpetrators and victims can be located anywhere in the world.

Images of victims of child sexual abuse can be shared on platforms that may be headquartered in one country, but legally registered in another with servers in different countries, he said, adding this reality affects the ability of Canadian law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute those responsible.

“It is unacceptable that victims have encountered difficulties in getting companies to remove this illegal content,” Blair said. “The number of reported cases is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true scale of this most heinous of crimes.”

MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee have been weighing concerns around privacy and streaming platforms such as Pornhub.

Justice Minister David Lametti told the committee’s members Monday that making, distributing, advertising and possessing child pornography are prohibited under the Criminal Code and a federal act mandating internet service providers to report online child pornography.

He said there are concerns regarding how these laws are being implemented, as the internet has provided criminals with a medium that extends their reach and thus their victim base which elevates the level of complexity of investigation.