Pending amendments to Canada's mandatory internet child sexual abuse material reporting law published

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

A set of amendments to the federal law requiring internet service providers to report child sexual abuse and exploitation material (CSEAM) has been drafted but is not yet in force. The changes would broaden the definition of 'Internet service' to explicitly include content hosting and interpersonal communication tools such as email. The duty to report would be narrowed and clarified: providers would only be required to notify a designated law enforcement body when the offending material is stored on a computer system they control that is located in Canada, and they would have to include transmission data when the material is manifestly CSEAM. Providers would be required to preserve related computer data for one year after making a notification, then destroy it unless a court order requires otherwise. A new exemption would relieve providers who have already reported an offence to a foreign jurisdiction from also having to notify Canadian authorities for the same offence. The prosecution limitation period would be extended to five years, and new annual reporting requirements for the designated law enforcement body would be introduced.

Who this affects: internet service providers · content hosting services · email and messaging service providers · law enforcement bodies designated under the regulations