With the 2025 Federal election only a year and a half away, political parties are beginning to roll out their plans to win votes. Some ideas that have already been introduced such as “Universal Basic Income” have caught the attention of many Canadians, unsurprising to anyone as Canada’s economy continues to suffer. What is a surprise though is the interesting stance that Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative party have taken when it comes to the relationship between online adult entertainment and digital security.
In a press conference in Vancouver on February 8th, Poilievre was asked whether his party would impose security checks to access adult websites to prevent children from viewing such content. Poilievre answered the inquiry with an unequivocal “yes.”
With such a bold stance, questions arise as to its implementation. Would the government issue an online ID? Or a biometric scan of the user’s face? It is difficult to say either way, however it raises more questions concerning the security of this data. Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, who introduced the Poilievre backed bill, has made it clear that politicians will not be the ones coming up with the security protocols. She stated that “accredited third parties” would be the ones to come up with the security features.
Defending her bill Miville-Dechêne stated, “Approving specific age-verification methods will be done in regulations, after extensive consultations.”
“This is the normal way of proceeding and it’s what other jurisdictions have done: identifying appropriate age-verification mechanisms is a technical issue, the technology evolves constantly, and we cannot pass a bill that becomes obsolete after a few months.”
Though Conservatives have made it clear that they are making sure the security mechanisms are up to standard before the bill is passed, there are still some politicians who are voicing concerns over the prospect of a new security act. One such politician that is opposed to the Conservatives new proposal is PM Justin Trudeau.
When discussing Poilievre’s new bill, Trudeau stated, “Instead of stepping up to stand for protecting our kids through responsible, serious legislation, he’s proposing that adults should instead give their ID and personal information to sketchy websites, or create a digital ID for adults to be able to browse the web the way they want to.”
“That’s something we stand against and disagree with.”
Upon hearing Trudeau, Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Poilievre, fired back in a statement: “Justin Trudeau is doing what he knows how to do best – deceiving and dividing Canadians, this time misleading them on the effects of a bill that has the support of MPs from every party, including members of his own Liberal caucus.”
Though plans have not yet been made as to how it would be enacted, this bill will be one of many pressing issues weighing heavily on Canadians this next election. Questions still remain. Can Canadians trust the Conservatives to find a reliable and trustworthy third party to handle our sensitive information? Will this bill cause more harm than good?
