The "Online Harms Act" refers to proposed legislation in various countries aimed at regulating online content and protecting users from harm.
Canada: Canada's Bill C-63, also known as the Online Harms Act, was introduced to address online abuse and protect vulnerable groups from digital crimes and online hate. It sought to impose a duty of care on social media platforms, requiring them to mitigate the risk of users being exposed to harmful content, including content that sexually victimizes children, incites violence, or promotes hatred. The bill aimed to establish a Digital Safety Commission and Office to enforce these provisions. While the bill was modeled after the UK's Online Safety Act 2023, it ultimately failed to pass before Parliament was dissolved in January 2025.
United Kingdom: The UK's Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA) was passed on October 26, 2023, to regulate online content and create a duty of care for online platforms to take action against illegal content or content harmful to children. The Act empowers Ofcom to regulate internet services and requires platforms to scan for child pornography and terrorism content. Failure to comply can result in significant fines. The U.S. Department of State has criticized the Act over concerns that it could impinge on freedom of the press.
United States: The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is proposed legislation intended to protect minors on social media platforms by establishing guidelines and requiring platforms to disable "addicting" design features for minors.
