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Decentralized Democracy

Member of Parliament

Hon. Arif Virani

  • Member of Parliament
  • Liberal
  • Parkdale—High Park
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 61%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $182,131.24

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 316 - May/23/24
Hon. Arif Virani
  • May/23/24 8:46:28 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-63 
Madam Chair, what I said at that committee, I will say again here: the Lego in my basement is subject to more restrictions than the screens my children are on. That has to change. We need to change the incentivization on social media companies from monetary incentivization to safety incentivization. This legislation would create a duty to protect children and a duty to remove content. I hope the opposition is listening. The prosecution would be facilitated, in terms of child sex predators, by making changes to the Mandatory Reporting Act, such that the evidence must be preserved for one year. Someone will have up to five years to lay a charge. All entities, including social media companies, must report, and they must report to a central clearing facility. That is critical to facilitating the prosecutions. That is what law enforcement has asked us for. That is what the mothers and fathers affected by things like sextortion around this country have asked us for. That is what will help keep kids from being induced to self-harm, which includes, sadly and tragically, suicide in the case of Carson Cleland in Prince George, B.C., and so many other children around this country. What we understand from the Centre for Child Protection is that 70 times per week they get notifications of sextortion, and that is only the kids who are coming forward. It is critical to address this issue with haste. We need to pass Bill C-63 at second reading and get it to committee to hear from experts about the pressing need for this bill.
266 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
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