Bill S-210

Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act

An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material

Status

Report stage (House), as of June 7, 2024

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Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment makes it an offence for organizations to make sexually explicit material available to young persons on the Internet. It also enables a designated enforcement authority to take steps to prevent sexually explicit material from being made available to young persons on the Internet in Canada.

Similar bills

S-203 (43rd Parliament, 2nd session) Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other S-210s:

S-210 (2020) Commissioner for Children and Youth in Canada Act
S-210 (2020) An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate)
S-210 (2015) Law An Act to amend An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Civil Marriage Act and the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
S-210 (2013) An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal interest rate)

Votes

Dec. 13, 2023 Passed 2nd reading of Bill S-210, An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material

Debate Summary

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This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill S-210, also known as the protecting young persons from exposure to pornography act, aims to restrict online access to sexually explicit material for individuals under 18. It proposes measures such as age verification for accessing pornographic websites and creates an offence for organizations that fail to prevent minors from accessing such content. The bill intends to establish a regulatory framework for age verification methods while considering privacy concerns and seeks to address the potential harm caused by early exposure to pornography.

Conservative

  • Strong support for Bill S-210: The Conservative party is advocating for Bill S-210, aimed at restricting young persons' online access to sexually explicit material. Members believe this bill is crucial for protecting children from the harmful effects of pornography, including normalization of violence against women, and distorted perceptions of relationships and sexuality.
  • Focus on unintentional exposure: Conservatives highlight the issue of unintentional exposure of children to pornography as a key concern. They are seeking measures to ensure children are not inadvertently subjected to sexually explicit content when using the internet and recognize the high percentage of children who first encounter pornography unintentionally.
  • Age verification is key: The Conservative party emphasizes the need for robust age verification mechanisms to restrict access to pornography for individuals under 18. They point to examples in Germany, France, and the UK where age verification systems are already in place and stress the importance of protecting privacy while implementing these technologies.
  • Violence against women: Conservatives emphasize the link between pornography and violence against women, arguing that exposure to violent and degrading content normalizes harmful behaviors and attitudes, which increases violence. They advocate for preventative measures, such as age verification, to shield children from this content and promote healthy understandings of consent and relationships.

NDP

  • Supports the bill: The NDP supports Bill S-210, which aims to protect children from accessing sexually explicit material online. They see it as an important step in addressing the harmful impacts of pornography on young people.
  • Importance of privacy: The NDP emphasizes the need to protect the personal information of Canadians when implementing age verification measures. They suggest using responsible third-party service providers instead of directly providing personal information to websites.
  • Need for education: The NDP stresses the importance of providing children and parents with appropriate information and safety mechanisms regarding online access. They advocate for comprehensive sexual health education that promotes consent, safety, and respect.
  • Pornography's harmful impact: The NDP highlights the negative effects of pornography on the sexual development and understanding of relationships in young people. They point out that it can lead to unrealistic expectations, normalization of violence against women, and potential addiction-like behaviors.

Bloc

  • Strong support for bill: The Bloc Québécois supports Bill S-210, which aims to protect minors by restricting their access to sexually explicit material online. They see it as aligned with their commitment to public safety, especially for minors, and support its study at committee to ensure its effectiveness.
  • Addresses real concerns: The Bloc emphasizes that Bill S-210 addresses genuine concerns within communities regarding the harmful effects of explicit content on minors. They highlight the need for action, especially given the rise in violence against women, and believe the bill can contribute to restricting access to content that promotes such violence.
  • Effective age verification: The Bloc believes that the government has a responsibility to prevent minors from accessing sexually explicit material. The bill will set broad principles for age verification of accessing pornographic content, as self-regulation has proven ineffective.
  • Action needed now: Bloc members emphasized that action is needed now to protect young people, whose minds are not fully formed, from harmful online content. Every hour lost is an opportunity for something to go wrong.

Liberal

  • Acknowledges the bill's intent: The Liberal speakers acknowledged the importance of protecting children and youth from harmful online content, especially pornography. They recognize the need for a safer online environment and support the underlying goal of Bill S-210.
  • Comprehensive approach needed: The members argued for a more holistic approach to online safety that addresses various forms of online harm, such as cyber-bullying, not just pornography. They suggest the government is working on more comprehensive legislation to deal with online harms to young people.
  • Concerns about unintended consequences: They expressed reservations about the bill's narrow focus and potential unintended consequences, including impacts on privacy rights and freedom of expression. They want to ensure that any measures taken are effective and minimize negative side effects.
  • Practicality and enforceability questioned: Members raised concerns about the practicality and enforceability of the proposed measures, particularly regarding age verification and potential manipulation of the system. The Privacy Commissioner's views are an important consideration.
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The House resumed from December 11 consideration of the motion that Bill S-210, An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography ActPrivate Members' Business

December 13th, 2023 / 3:30 p.m.

The Speaker Greg Fergus

It being 3:31 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill S-210 under Private Members' Business.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #609

Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography ActPrivate Members' Business

December 13th, 2023 / 3:45 p.m.

The Speaker Greg Fergus

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography ActPrivate Members' Business

December 13th, 2023 / 3:45 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the vote call in the House on a very important vote to protect young people from pornography, the member for Pontiac rose to vote in favour and then rose to vote against. I would like you to verify that she did indeed vote and I hope she voted in favour.

Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography ActPrivate Members' Business

December 13th, 2023 / 3:45 p.m.

The Speaker Greg Fergus

I thank the hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques‑Cartier for raising that question.

Upon further verification with the table officers, I can assure the member that the vote was recorded only once.