Elon Musk has slammed an "insane" online hate speech bill crawling its way through the Canadian Parliament which could see offenders slapped with up to $50,000 in fines or even a life sentence in prison.
"This sounds insane if accurate! CommunityNotes, please check," Musk tweeted in response to the bill's empowerment to search for retroactive offenses, according to an account that goes by Camus.
According to one report from Canadian outlet The Globe and Mail, Canada's bill C-63 "would amend the Criminal Code to enforce stiff penalties for perpetrators."
"People found guilty of posting hate speech" — which could come from an anonymous accuser "could be forced to pay victims up to $20,000 in compensation. If they refuse to comply, for example by repeatedly reposting hate speech, they could face a fine of up to $50,000."
In another report, The Globe and Mail noted that the bill "also establishes a new hate-crime offence, which would carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment."
Commenting on the bill, Toby Young from the British Spectator wrote, "it isn't just stuff you've posted after the new law comes into force you can get into trouble for — oh, no — but anything you've posted, ever, dating back to the dawn of the internet."
But even if a new Canadian agency, the Digital Safety Commission, fails to turn up any dirt, one could still falter on the prospect on the likelihood of committing an offense.
"If the courts believe you are likely to commit a 'hate crime' or disseminate 'hate propaganda' [not defined]," Young continued, "you can be placed under house arrest and your ability to communicate with others restricted. That is, a court can force you to wear an ankle bracelet, prevent you using any of your communication devices and then instruct you not to leave the house. If the court believes there's a risk you may get drunk or high and start tweeting under the influence — although how is unclear, given you can't use your phone or a PC — it can order you to submit regular urine samples to the authorities."
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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