DEFEND supports Bill S-210

In a proactive move to protect Canadian youth from the potential harms of unrestricted access to online pornography, DEFEND Nonprofit and 65square have thrown its support behind Independent Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne’s groundbreaking initiative, Bill S-210. This bill, currently under consideration in the Canadian parliament, aims to mandate age verification on platforms hosting adult content.

As technology continues to evolve, so does the need for safeguards against the unintended consequences of its use. Online pornography, easily accessible to users of all ages, raises concerns about the exposure of minors to explicit content. Senator Miville-Dechêne’s proposed legislation seeks to address this issue head-on by requiring online pornography companies to implement robust age verification mechanisms.

DEFEND Nonprofit, a leading advocate for online safety, believes that Bill S-210 is a crucial step towards creating a safer digital environment for young Canadians.  By supporting this legislation, DEFEND emphasizes the importance of protecting minors from the potential psychological and social repercussions of early exposure to explicit content.

DEFEND recognizes that age verification is a practical and effective method to ensure that individuals accessing adult content are of legal age. This approach aligns with DEFEND’s mission to protect children and vulnerable people online and it empowers parents with the tools needed to safeguard their children in the digital age.

DEFEND took steps to petition the Canadian government for mandatory age/identity verification on all social media in 2021, collecting more than 10,000 digital signatures from around the world and more than 1000 physical signatures from Canadians coast-to-coast in a 24 hour campaign.  The government responded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KbRJzUNWNB55alZRxUqB7dlfnUzlufrZ/view although haven’t followed through with legislation of its own or implementing any of the recommendations from a consultation. 

Recently some US states have seen minor successes in this realm (protecting kids from accessing pornography online) but more work is needed. Tech companies refuse and are actively fighting meaningful verification on social media and on adult platforms. They cite privacy or freedom of expression but in Canada there are reasonable limitations that can be imposed on certain freedoms. A framework like Bill S-210 is the base minimum we need to protect children. AI technology that 65square is currently developing is verifying age on device (without an internet connection) and impressively can detect liveness and when someone is attempting to spoof. See the below example of child actor Jonathan Lipnicki being assessed for age using this AI technology.  DEFEND has developed and progressed this forward for under a few thousand dollars.  If DEFEND, a nonprofit with pretty much ZERO revenue can do this, tech companies with millions of dollars can figure out this problem.

In a world where technology plays an increasingly significant role in our daily lives, DEFEND Nonprofit applauds Senator Miville-Dechêne’s foresight in addressing the potential risks associated with unregulated access to explicit material. By rallying behind Bill S-210, DEFEND underscores the importance of collaboration between lawmakers and advocacy groups to create a safer and more secure online environment for all Canadians, especially the vulnerable youth population.

Read more about Bill S-210 here: https://bills210-lois210.ca/