The Canadian government has proposed a bill that would increase the maximum punishment for hate speech online from five years to life imprisonment.

The proposal is part of Justin Trudeau’s latest Online Harms Bill. It seeks to assert control over online discussion.

The National Post report:

Bill C-63 is designed to make social media, adult content uploaded by users, and live streaming services reduce their exposure to harmful online content, improve reporting of child pornography, and better combat hate propaganda.

The bill also amends the Criminal Code to create a separate hate crime offense that allows for punishments up to life in prison to deter hatred. It also increases the maximum punishments of hate propaganda offenses, from five years up to life for advocating genocide.

Some of these provisions, such as the clampdown on adult content and child pornography, are noble causes. The definition of “hate propagandist” as defined by the government should be a cause for concern to all conservatives.

We have seen this countless times over the past decade. What the liberal establishment considers “hate speech”, is usually a way to silence and punish those who are vocally opposed to their progressive ideologies.

The left regularly distorts the term “genocide”, claiming that it is a call to wipe out everyone who suffers from gender dysphoria. The term genocide is used to describe an attempt to eliminate a group, whether it be a race, ethnicity, or religion.

Arif Virani was one of those who spoke in support of the bill. He said that he is “terrified” as a Muslim by the online rhetoric.

Like many parents and grandparents across Canada, I am terrified of the dangers lurking on the Internet for our children.

I am also a Muslim. Radicalization is a result of the hatred that exists online. This has real-world impacts on my community and so many others.

It also includes the creation of the Digital Safety Commission, whose job it is to enforce regulations and ensure online platforms follow all rules. The legislation will also create the position of Digital Safety Ombudsperson, who is responsible for “championing users’ interests, offering support, and making recommendations to social media platforms and government bodies.”

We reported earlier this month that the Canadian government also plans to ban speaking in support of fossil fuels. This will make it illegal to promote them in a way that “states or suggests” that the use of fossil fuels or practices by a producer, or industry, would result in positive outcomes for the environment, health of Canadians, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, or the Canadian economy or global economy.

The beauty of the First Amendment in the U.S. is that, despite all the efforts of the left, these authoritarian laws will never be implemented. It’s only a matter of time before the left regains control of the U.S. Supreme Court. Enjoy your freedom as long as it lasts.