March 9, 2015 – Etobicoke, ON – Department of Justice.
Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the coming into force on March 10, 2015 of the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act. The new legislation demonstrates the Government of Canada's firm commitment to help ensure that Canadians are better protected against online exploitation by helping to protect young Canadians from cyberbullying and to stand up for victims. The Minister was joined by Bernard Trottier, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, and Lianna McDonald, Executive Director for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
The new measures will help law enforcement officials better protect young Canadians from online exploitation. The Government will continue to give law enforcement officials the tools they need to help prevent young Canadians from falling victim to cyberbullying.
The measures coming into force build on the numerous measures implemented by the Government of Canada to help ensure the safety of young Canadians and bring the rights of victims back to the heart of the criminal justice system, including introducing the Bill C-26, the Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act; introducing Bill C-32, the Victims Bill of Rights Act; bringing forward legislation to make the reporting of child pornography by Internet Service Providers mandatory; and launching the anti-cyberbullying awareness campaign Stop Hating Online, a comprehensive resource for parents and youth that includes information, advice, and tools needed to help identify, prevent and stop cyberbullying.
See www.canada.ca/cyberbullying for information on the Protecting Canadians Against Online Crime Act
For more information on Bullying Awareness Week, visit www.bullyingawarenessweek.org
To report online sexual exploitation of children and to seek help for exploitation resulting from the sharing of sexual images,visit Cybertip.ca and NeedHelpNow.ca
For information on protecting yourself and your family against online threats, including cyberbullying, visit GetCyberSafe
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