Forum 34.4: Regulating Online Harms in Canada

In this special issue, guest edited by Dax D'Orazio (Guelph) and Michael Asres (York), scholars of law and politics at different career stages examine some of the key legal, political, and practical challenges raised by Canada's Online Harms Bill (Bill C-63), which died on the order paper when Parliament was prorogued in early 2025. In anticipation of subsequent attempts to regulate online harms, the issue's contributors reflect on how the law ought to respond to the rapid spread of hateful or otherwise harmful content online, and on how this response can be tailored to still leave ample room for the exercise of expressive freedom. You can access the full issue for free by clicking the individual article links below.

FULL ISSUE: REGULATING ONLINE HARMS IN CANADA

Editorial Introduction: Regulating Online Harms in Canada
Michael Asres, Dax D'Orazio
i-viii

Online Harms Legislation and Lawful but Awful Expression
Emily Laidlaw
1-20

Protecting Us and They/Them: The Online Harms Act as a Missed Opportunity for Queer Expressive Freedom under the Charter
Joe Byram
21-42

Beyond Public Law: Recognizing a Tort Remedy for Hate Speech in Canada
Kenneth Grad
43-64

A New Life for Section 13 of the CHRA?
Richard Moon
65-72

Hate Speech in the Headlines: National Newspaper Coverage of Free Expression Controversies and the Human Rights Backlash
Michael Asres, Dax D'Orazio
73-94

Online Harms and Hate Speech: The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act as a Model for Canada
Emmett Macfarlane
95-104