The Daily UbuntuThread 07 · Digital Solitude · September 25, 2026
A law against online hate, still awaited
In 2024, Ottawa tabled a bill on online harms. It died on the order paper, but the question remains wide open.
1 · The scene
Rimouski, on a Sunday. Karim, 14, receives images in a group chat mocking his religion. He laughs along with the others, so as not to look fragile. That evening, he barely eats.
His older sister notices his silence. She sits at the end of his bed, without her phone. He ends up showing her everything. Together, they leave the group, block the account and write to the school principal. He sleeps better that night.
Original vignette
2 · The documented case
Bill C-63 on online harms
On February 26, 2024, the federal Minister of Justice tabled Bill C-63 in the House of Commons, which was to create the Online Harms Act. The text targeted seven types of harmful content, including content that foments hatred, incites violence or is used to bully children.
The bill provided for a Digital Safety Commission of Canada to enforce the new rules on platforms, and an ombudsperson to support victims. It also proposed defining "hatred" in the Criminal Code and adding remedies against online hate speech to the Canadian Human Rights Act.
The bill never got past second reading: it died on the order paper when the parliamentary session ended in January 2025. The federal government nonetheless says its commitment to fighting online harms remains, and legal experts continue to think about the best way to regulate such content.
A law will never replace the vigilance of the people around us. In the spirit of Ubuntu, protecting someone from online hate often begins with presence: a parent, a friend, a teacher who notices a silence and dares to ask.
3 · The voice
“Kids are vulnerable online.”
4 · The question
Around you, who would know whom to talk to if hate reached them through their screen?
Sources
- Parliament of Canada, LEGISinfo, Bill C-63 (44th Parliament, 1st session). www.parl.ca
- Canadian Heritage, "Government of Canada introduces legislation to combat harmful content online," February 26, 2024. www.canada.ca
- Government of Canada, "Online harms legislation," page consulted in 2026 (French version). www.canada.ca
- Centre for Constitutional Studies, "Forum 34.4: Regulating Online Harms in Canada," March 30, 2026. www.constitutionalstudies.ca
Every figure on this page links to a verifiable public source.
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