Canadian Officials, Experts Lambast Anti-Porn Senator's Age Verification Bill

Canadian Officials, Experts Lambast Anti-Porn Senator's Age Verification Bill

OTTAWA, Canada — Canada’s privacy commissioner warned a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that the expansive age verification bill promoted by vocal anti-porn and anti-sex-work Senator Julie Miville-Dechênel has broad censorship implications and could end up applying to mainstream services such as Netflix.

Commissioner Philippe Dufresne suggested the scope of the bill should be “dramatically narrowed” to address concerns about what types of content would be affected, The Canadian Press reported.

Canadian Heritage Deputy Minister Owen Ripley also testified, calling Miville-Dechênel’s bill “highly problematic for a number of reasons, including a scope that is much too broad, both in terms of regulated services as well as regulated content.”

The Canadian Press reported that University of Ottawa law professor and internet expert Michael Geist called the bill “fundamentally flawed,” explaining that age verification technology “is simply not there yet” to accomplish what censorship proponents like Miville-Dechênel and her U.S.-based allies and counterparts are seeking.

An Unelected Politician With Peculiar U.S. Allies

As XBIZ reported, Miville-Dechêne — an unelected official, since Canadian Senators are appointed — is a former journalist and broadcaster with no specialized knowledge about internet protocols or the technical aspects of content moderation.

In June 2021, Miville-Dechêne spoke to the francophone CBC outlet Radio Canada about the anti-Pornhub crusade then being spearheaded by MP Arnold Viersen with the support of U.S. anti-porn crusader Laila Mickelwait, who at that time worked for the Christian organization Exodus Cry.

Miville-Dechêne told Radio Canada that she does not share the ideology of Exodus Cry, but tackles the issue of sexual exploitation “under a feminist angle.”

“The issue of children watching online porn as well as the presence of illegal content on porn sites have gathered a large coalition of Canadian citizens who are ideologically different, but who agree with each other on these two precise objectives,” she added.

However, in April 2022, she stated that “protecting children against pornography is both a health and a public safety issue,” echoing NCOSE and Exodus Cry terminology about an alleged “public health crisis” around watching porn and about “porn addiction,” a concept that has been repeatedly debunked.

Pass It Now, Figure Out the ‘Technical Details’ Later

During Tuesday’s hearing, Miville-Dechêne and her supporters argued that the bill’s purpose, “to shield minors from sexually graphic and violent material, is important enough that it should be passed, with the technical details to be sorted out through a regulatory process,” The Canadian Press reported.

Academic expert Geist retorted that the bill is “fundamentally defective in its current form, and it can’t be fixed without a complete overhaul,” and that “the technology simply doesn’t exist to permit age verification at scale.”

Ripley added that, as written, “the proposed law would make it a rule for services like Netflix to verify the age of their users,” having “far-reaching implications for how Canadians access and use the internet. Website blocking remains a highly contentious enforcement instrument that poses a range of challenges and could impact Canadians’ freedom of speech and Canada’s commitment to an open and free internet and net neutrality.”

Dufresne suggested an amendment that narrowed the scope of the bill to services “providing sexually explicit material for commercial purposes.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Aylo Says It Will Comply With UK Age Assurance Requirements

Tech and media company Aylo, which owns various adult properties including Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, plans to introduce age assurance methods in the United Kingdom that satisfy government rules under the Online Safety Act, the company has announced.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Approves Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday passed legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

Trial Set for Lawsuit by U Wisconsin Professor Fired Over Adult Content

A trial date of June 22, 2026, has been set for the civil lawsuit filed by veteran communications professor Joe Gow against the University of Wisconsin board of regents, which fired him for creating and appearing in adult content.

New UK Task Force Meets to Target Adult Content

The architect of an influential report that recommended banning adult content deemed “degrading, violent and misogynistic” has convened an “Independent Pornography Review task force” aimed at translating that report’s findings into action in the U.K.

11:11 Creations Launches Affiliate Program

11:11 Creations principal Alicia Silver has launched 11:11 Cash for creators and affiliates.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'Self Love' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers to develop self-love.

Paysite 'RealGirlsFuck' Relaunches as 'Taboolu.com'

Producer/performer Josh Lewis has relaunched his paysite, RealGirlsFuck, as Taboolu.com.

Show More