I appeared on The Yunusov Question on April 19, 2024. There, I discussed intellectual property, Canadian digital policy, and artificial intelligence. The link to the video can be found here.
Articles by: Michael Geist
Debating the Online Harms Act: Insights from Two Recent Panels on Bill C-63
The Online Harms Act has sparked widespread debate over the past six weeks. I’ve covered the bill in a trio of Law Bytes podcast (Online Harms, Canada Human Rights Act, Criminal Code) and participated in several panels focused on the issue. Those panels are posted below. First, a panel titled the Online Harms Act: What’s Fact and What’s Fiction, sponsored by CIJA that included Emily Laidlaw, Richard Marceau and me. It paid particular attention to the intersection between the bill and online hate.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs: Online Harms Act – What’s Fact and What’s Fiction
I spoke with The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs on April 17, 2024, where I discussed the Online Harms Act, what the proposed legislation would regulate, and the disputes surrounding online safety, hate speech, and freedom of expression. The link to the video can be found here.
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 199: Boris Bytensky on the Criminal Code Reforms in the Online Harms Act
The Online Harms Act – otherwise known as Bill C-63 – is really at least three bills in one. The Law Bytes podcast tackled the Internet platform portion of the bill last month in an episode with Vivek Krishnamurthy and then last week Professor Richard Moon joined to talk about the return of Section 13 of the Canada Human Rights Act. Part three may the most controversial: the inclusion of Criminal Code changes that have left even supporters of the bill uncomfortable.
Boris Bytensky of the firm Bytensky Shikhman has been a leading Canadian criminal law lawyer for decades and currently serves as President of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. He joins the podcast to discuss the bill’s Criminal Code reforms as he identifies some of the practical implications that have thus far been largely overlooked in the public debate.
Nuanced: Michael Geist on Problems with the Online Harms Act, TikTok Ban & Antisemitism in Canada
I appeared on the Nuanced podcast hosted by Aaron Pete on April 11, 2024. In the episode, we discussed the Online Harms Act, a possible TikTok ban, and the rise of antisemitism in Canada. The link to the episode is here.
Recent Posts
A Century After Keeping Jewish Students Out, Universities Are Letting Them Be Pushed Out 
The Lessons of 9/11 We Forgot After October 7th 
Named to Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers 
Be Careful What You Wish For: Why Asking Google Maps to Defy the U.S. on Lake Ontario Would Undermine Canadian Digital Sovereignty 
Big Money, Bigger Design Changes: What the Meta Settlement Means for Canada, Bill C-34, and the Age Verification and Privacy Risks That Remain
