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Porn browsing ID talk prompts Trudeau to take jab at Poilievre

Conservative leader says party supports bill that would require porn sites to verify users91Ƶ ages
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Justin Trudeau took an unprompted jab at his main political rival over a Senate porn bill that the prime minister says could usher in a digital ID for adults who want to browse certain websites. Trudeau made the comments today following a press conference in Nova Scotia where he accused Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of spreading 91Ƶlies91Ƶ about the Liberal government91Ƶs upcoming online harms legislation. Trudeau makes an announcement in Membertou First Nation on Cape Breton Island, N.S., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Justin Trudeau took an unprompted jab at his main political rival on Thursday over a Senate porn bill that the prime minister said could usher in a digital ID for adults who want to browse certain websites.

Trudeau accused Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of 91Ƶspreading lies91Ƶ about the Liberal government91Ƶs upcoming online harms legislation 91Ƶ even while supporting a bill that would create online restrictions.

91ƵInstead of stepping up to stand for protecting our kids through responsible, serious legislation, he91Ƶs proposing that adults should instead give their ID and personal information to sketchy websites, or create a digital ID for adults to be able to browse the web the way they want to,91Ƶ Trudeau said after a press conference in Nova Scotia.

91ƵThat91Ƶs something we stand against and disagree with.91Ƶ

On Wednesday, Poilievre confirmed that his party supports a bill that would require porn sites to verify users91Ƶ ages, and that a future Conservative government would legislate the same.

Bill S-210 passed in the Senate in the spring and New Democrats, Bloc Québécois and Conservative MPs voted to send it to a House of Commons committee for study, while a majority of Liberals voted against it.

The bill introduced by Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, a member of the Independent Senators Group, does not specify how age would be verified.

Options for enforcement include the creation of a digital government ID or the requirement that users scan their face using a webcam so that their approximate age can be determined 91Ƶ both methods the Tories say they disapprove of.

Miville-Dechêne said in a statement Thursday that 91Ƶage verification to access online porn is not a partisan issue91Ƶ and pointed to other jurisdictions that have drafted such laws, including France, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

In France, a digital certificate is being explored, while the European Union is set to roll out a personal digital wallet for each of its citizens to use online.

The U.K. has said methods it91Ƶs looking into include verifying ages through photo ID matching, facial age estimation and credit card checks.

Miville-Dechêne said 91Ƶaccredited third parties91Ƶ would conduct age verification rather than government or porn sites, and defended the fact her bill doesn91Ƶt specify how the law would be applied.

91ƵApproving specific age-verification methods will be done in regulations, after extensive consultations,91Ƶ she said.

91ƵThis is the normal way of proceeding and it91Ƶs what other jurisdictions have done: identifying appropriate age-verification mechanisms is a technical issue, the technology evolves constantly, and we cannot pass a bill that becomes obsolete after a few months.91Ƶ

Nonetheless, privacy experts have expressed concerns over the potential impacts of the use of facial recognition technology or requiring users to hand over personal information to third-party sites.

But the Conservatives 91Ƶ including Ontario MP Karen Vecchio, who is sponsoring the bill in the Commons 91Ƶ haven91Ƶt proposed any alternative methods to enforce the prospective law.

Conservatives say they support the bill because children should not be able to freely access pornography online, similar to how children can not legally purchase pornography in person.

91ƵJustin Trudeau is doing what he knows how to do best 91Ƶ deceiving and dividing Canadians, this time misleading them on the effects of a bill that has the support of MPs from every party, including members of his own Liberal caucus,91Ƶ Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Poilievre, said in a statement Thursday.

He was referring to 15 Liberal backbenchers who voted alongside Tories to send the bill to committee.

Poilievre also took a shot Wednesday at the online harms legislation the Liberal government is expected to table in the coming weeks.

The Tory leader said it is part of 91ƵJustin Trudeau91Ƶs woke authoritarian agenda91Ƶ and will be an 91Ƶattack on freedom of expression.91Ƶ

Trudeau said the legislation is meant to protect children from sexual exploitation and bullying on the internet.

91ƵWe keep kids safe in the school yard. We keep kids safe in our communities. We need to do a better job as a society keeping kids safe online,91Ƶ he said Thursday.

Trudeau said Poilievre91Ƶs rhetoric was 91Ƶconcerning91Ƶ given the Tories haven91Ƶt seen the bill yet and don91Ƶt know what it contains.

91ƵSo I think this is yet another example of Pierre Poilievre being irresponsible and not serious and choosing to play politics instead of actually focusing on what matters, which is how to keep our kids safe.91Ƶ

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