February 26, 2024
OTTAWA – Amid an unprecedented rise in online hate against Jews, B’nai Brith Canada is concerned about the lack of attention being given to combating antisemitism in the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63), introduced Monday by Arif Virani, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
“We applaud the Government for tackling important issues that focus on online harms, predominantly the exploitation of minors,” said David Granovsky, Director of Government Relations for B’nai Brith. “However, we remain concerned about a lack of specific recognition in this bill toward rising levels of hate, in the form of antisemitism, in Canada.”
Following major increases in instances of anti-Jewish hate in Canada since the Oct. 7 attack of Israel by Hamas terrorists, there is a conspicuous absence of language in Bill C-63 dedicated to antisemitism.
As a result, B’nai Brith will ask for Bill C-63 to be amended to reflect key recommendations that were outlined in B’nai Brith’s 2021 report titled “How Social Media Algorithms Fuel Hate Speech and Misinformation,” which included proposals for investing in a responsible and more comprehensive algorithm against antisemitism and other forms of hate online.
Also missing is the need for the Government to work with the federal and provincial human-rights commissions to further develop a public education mandate which focuses on understanding, reporting, and countering online hate, including antisemitism.
As a stakeholder involved in the discussions leading up to the tabling of Bill C-63, B’nai Brith submitted recommendations to the Department of Justice and the House of Commons. B’nai Brith also shared its views through its participation in a government roundtable in 2022.
In addition, B’nai Brith wrote to the Ministers of Justice and Canadian Heritage about the need for punitive measures targeting online retailers – such as Amazon and privatecollections.ca – that facilitate the sale of products that violate Canada’s Federal Anti-Racism Strategy.
As the need to address antisemitism and other forms of online hate are more pressing than ever before, parliamentarians now have a unique opportunity to adopt B’nai Brith’s recommendations reflecting the concerns of Canadian Jews.
“All in all, this is a step in the right direction by the Government of Canada,” said Richard Robertson, Director of Research and Advocacy for B’nai Brith. “We remain hopeful that we can meet with Minister Virani and members of the House of Commons Justice Committee in the near future to discuss effective ways to address the frightening rise in online antisemitism in this country.”
