this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2025
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Canada’s proposed Bill S-209, which addresses online age verification, is currently making its way through the Senate, and its passage would be yet another mistake in tech policy.

The bill is intended to restrict young peoples’ access to online pornography and to hold providers to account for making it available to anyone under 18. It may be well-intentioned, but the manner of its proposed enforcement – mandating age verification or what is being called “age-estimation technologies” – is troubling.

Globally, age-verification tools are a popular business, and many companies are in favour of S-209, particularly because it requires that websites and organizations rely on third parties for these tools. However, they bring up long-standing concerns over privacy, especially when you consider potential leaks or hacks of this information, which in some cases include biometrics that can identify us by our faces or fingerprints. [...]

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[–] gravitywell@sh.itjust.works 75 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Its not "well intentioned”, the silpery slope is the point. Getting porn sites to essentially self censor by restricting what geographic regions have accesss until one day its the majority of places and suddenly banning porn sites in the remaining hold outs doesnt seem like such a hard sell, and then on to other subjects they dont like.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 53 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (19 children)

It's always referred to as age verification, but it's ID verification. It's the introduction of a regime where you can't use the internet without everyone knowing exactly who you are, and without the government being able to track your activity via your ID. Governments around the world are making what must surely be a coordinated effort to end anonymity, and thus privacy, online. In other countries this has gone along with a push to end encryption for phone calls and chat, and a push to outlaw VPNs. Canada's government is embarking on a program that's very hostile to its own population.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 weeks ago

Looks like it's time for a more self hosted and distributed web.

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[–] NotSteve_@piefed.ca 49 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

I was never excited for Carney (and the Liberals' continuation of power), but I really didn't think they'd anger me as much as they have been*. Yes, I'm happy we don't have PP in power, but at times it's feeling like we may as well have reached the same outcome minus the culture war shit.

I really hope the NDP makes a strong comeback**

Edit (corrections):

*Apparently it was not a bill put forward by Liberal MPs

**The NDP actually supported the first bill of this kind so they're not much help in this situation

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 27 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not one to glaze Carney, but for the benefit of factuality - this bill was proposed by a senator, not a Liberal MP under Carney. We'll see whether it goes further.

[–] NotSteve_@piefed.ca 15 points 3 weeks ago

Thank you for the correction, I'll update my comment

[–] morbidcactus@lemmy.ca 19 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Afaik this is a senate bill and similar to s210 from last parliament, the NDP voted in favour of that one last session which I'm extremely disappointed about, I recall the NDP being pro privacy in the past, which totally got some of my friends interested in them in the first place.

It's even more disappointing that the liberals were the only party with Nay votes on that one. I realise that wasn't passing this bill but still, unimpressed.

Edit. This showed up earlier too in s203 back a few parliaments ago. Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne is the sponsor on all of these.

[–] NotSteve_@piefed.ca 8 points 3 weeks ago

Ah, you're correct (sadly). Now that you mention it I remember the NDP voting in favour for that which is depressing to say the least

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[–] cecilkorik@piefed.ca 37 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The dark web became known as the hideout of internet criminals. Once we're all internet criminals, it will just be the hideout of everyone. Time to drop all these commercial services that we've let take over the internet and go back to being anonymous weirdos talking to other anonymous weirdos on websites run by anonymous weirdos. The web was ironically a nicer place. Also a shittier place, but at the same time a nicer place. This is why we can't have nice things.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

They will try to ban websites run by anonymous weirdos.

[–] cecilkorik@piefed.ca 3 points 3 weeks ago

They can try. Bans require enforcement, and they catch a few of us weirdos from time to time, but the hydra always grows more heads.

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[–] RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip 35 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

It's never about porn or children. It's about control, money and a fear of ones own citizenry.

[–] jellygoose@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 weeks ago

It’s also about scanning everyone’s faces for their databases, and probably to feed Palantir in the end.

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

For sure, only pure evil motives. Establishment needs to destroy Canada to pillage it. Wrap it up in war on China and Russia. Deliver Canadian slaves to Israel and US oligarchy.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 6 points 3 weeks ago

mostly its for tracking political dissidents, once you have to "upload your id eventually", control of the female body is just a side benefit.

[–] Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 34 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Nooooo, I thought Canada was very far from this bull shit

[–] NotSteve_@piefed.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago

So did I 🥲

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 weeks ago

Call or write to your MP. Let them know that no one wants this.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 weeks ago

Why? We are, and have always been, an economic appendage to the USA.

[–] Sunshine@piefed.ca 24 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Stop that garbage bill that will expose your data to criminals in data breaches.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Criminals? What about politicians, advertisers and law enforcement?

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, criminals.

[–] grey_maniac@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago
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[–] Takashiro@lemmy.today 23 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It is not a slippery slope, it is the intended purpose, with a different implementation.

Anyone with a few braincells working knows that it is all bullshit this crusade against porn "for the kids" .

In the end the objective is just ever more identification, tracking and control of everyone .

It gets even worse when you think of how the improper access could be properly mitigated...

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 weeks ago

Anyone with a few braincells working knows that it is all bullshit this crusade against porn “for the kids” .

Normies think "for the kids" is a 100% reasonable excuse to restrict freedoms and install authoritarian policy. That's why it works.

I know it's bullshit, you know it's bullshit. Go convince someone who doesn't understand that it is bullshit.

[–] observantTrapezium@lemmy.ca 17 points 3 weeks ago

It may be well-intentioned

It may, but it is not.

[–] fourish@lemmy.world 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Well no child I know could’ve ever found porn if an adult had only blocked access....lol. The more forbidden it is, the bigger the thrill/reward of getting it.

When I was a kid, my parents always had big summer parties at our house and there was alcohol all over the place. I could try whatever I wanted (with lots of adults around - if not supervising, at least being nearby). I never cared about alcohol because casual “sampling” was never prohibited so who cares?

My kids (both under 10) have both tried mild alcoholic drinks.

When they get older into their teens, I'm making sure that as long as they are supervised, they can try any legal substance they want.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Developing children should never consume drugs or alcohol.

[–] Devial@discuss.online 16 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I don't care if it slows down the legislative process, I am firmly of the opinion that all politicians should be legally required to take a short exam designed by experts on the topic of any legislation they want to vote on (including things like basic understandings of the concept and potential consequences, both positive and negative, of the legislation), and any politician who fails isn't allowed to vote on that legislation.

Politicians shouldn't be allowed to vote on legislation that they demonstrably do not understand.

[–] Muscle_Meteor@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

How i feel about voting in general

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[–] jaselle@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago

If they were serious about privacy-preserving age verification, they'd be looking at zero-knowledge proofs. Since ZKP is not on the table, this is really about control and surveillance.

[–] aceshigh@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

How about instead we ban propaganda and bots?

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 weeks ago

But that would be impossible, you know. And we can't just go around controlling what people say and think and consume, you know. Because free speech and such and so forth and so on.

collects lobbyist payment

[–] GodofLies@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

"Those that trade privacy for security deserve neither."

How about they start addressing the actual problem rather than half-measures from think tanks. If it was truly about children, they should be passing policies from a macro standpoint that encourage people to have a family and kids. Right now, it's economically grim and has been sliding that way for many decades. The rise of fascist and surveillance state policies is only going to make it worse. Say bye-bye to your birthrate and we're right back where we started again with the gov trying to pump the numbers via mass immigration.

What does all this have to do with this bill? The intent may be framed as protecting/preventing kids from adult material, but it's also about making it desirable to have kids because "big brother is watching you/protecting you" (SMH here on how stupid this all is). These legislators are out of touch. We as a society need to address the root of the problem - why do we have a CSAM problem in the first place? It's a horrific thing to have, and to be honest, those that turn to it likely have a mental illness.

As for kids accessing adult material online - why is the government being a nanny state? This is the parent's job.

I have zero confidence that they can keep everyone's data private and safe given how many breaches there are.

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[–] SlartyBartFast@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Now we deal with this shit even here?

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[–] rozodru@pie.andmc.ca 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Manwin is based out of Montreal, i.e. Pornhub. I can't see this passing. Canada is quite literally the porn capital of the world, trust me I know I worked for 3 separate porn companies here in Canada. I just don't see it happening.

[–] DundasStation@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 weeks ago

I'd rather this type of legislation not even be entertained in Parliament and treated the same way as if someone tried to propose banning oxygen. I'll be writing to my MP tomorrow and I encourage everyone reading this to do the same. If you let them take a centimetre of our privacy, they'll take an entire kilometre.

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[–] gwl@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 points 3 weeks ago

That's always been the point.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not sure if it is a 'slippery slope'. It sounds more like a fixed plan.

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[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Conspiracy: We just learned a large, organized, and barely secret pedophile ring consisting of high level government officials and business people is/was controlling the American government and probably most large western corporations

Sounds like they actually want everyone back onto the sites that don’t verify ages or content because it will destroy the regulated porn industry entirely.

[–] FlyingSpaceCow@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The only way this would be acceptable is if they built a trustless authenticator. Until then they can fuck the hell off.

The tech exists and has for decades and is battle hardened. It is called zero proof knowledge but Centralized power wants nothing to do with it as it is a decentralized technology. It is ok, as we will be forced to move towards decentralized services the more we wade into the new AI/Quantum Age as anything Centralized is a sitting duck for being hacked and hacked often to the point that they become useless.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 weeks ago

It doesn't matter what Canada does. It seems the rest of the world is going this way and we we'll be dragged behind whether we do something or not. I have no idea what is happening the fall of our era?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 3 weeks ago

its not by accident that all the porn verification are happening in multiple countries all at the same time.

[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

If it happens I'll bulk buy flash drives, fill em with useful tools to get around all this... Then just hand them out for free on the street corner next to a highschool.

Fuck age verification, may the people who push it die from a horrible rare cancer.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Not to be that guy, but teaching high school students to just plug a random flash drive into their PC probably isn't the best security practice to be imparting...

Maybe a booth teaching them?

[–] modus@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Maybe a booth teaching them?

Hey, kids! Come in my booth and I'll show you how to access porn!

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Well... lol. You could make it hey kids learn how to access things in other countries that needs a VPN, and maybe they'd be smart enough to connect the dots, but ya that's no longer as effective heh.

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Time to boost a specific local business and go back (...I mean, not really, I only ever had one and I won it, fun story actually) to buying porn DVDs.

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