For the third episode of the Bellwether, MPP students Nina Hernandez and Asha Sivarajah talk to Dr. Taylor Owen about the recently tabled Online Harms Act, or Bill C-63. Dr. Taylor Owen is the founding director of The Center for Media, Technology and Democracy and an Associate Professor at the Max Bell School of Public Policy. He was originally part of the Expert Advisory Group on Online Safety with the Government of Canada, and participated in the initial consultations on Bill C-63, which was tabled on February 26, 2024.
In this episode, Nina, Asha, and Dr. Owen discuss the substance of the bill, such as the Duty to Protect Children provision and the introduction of a new definition of hate speech. They also discuss the future of the bill and any potential amendments that may occur as it passes through the parliament.
If you want to learn more about this topic, co-host Nina Hernandez has written about Bill C-63 on the Bell Newsletter. You can read Nina's op-ed here.
Nina Hernandez is from Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, and holds a double major in Government and Rhetoric and Writing from The University of Texas at Austin. She has experience working in the private and public sectors in both the United States and Mexico. Her passions lie in development, digitalization, and multilateral alliances with international organizations. With a mission to create strong alliances, she has worked as a political consultant in Washington, D.C. for international clients in the fields of engineering, pharmaceuticals, and technology. She has also been involved in outreach efforts for urban policies at the local urban planning department in her state. For her most recent job, Nina was a subdirector for the federal health regulatory agency in Mexico, where she was closely involved with authorizations, permits, and international equivalence agreements for the release of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. In her free time, she enjoys doing pottery and hiking.
Asha Sivarajah holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Media, Information, and Technoculture from Western University. Since completing her degree, Asha has worked at the Canadian International Council (CIC) and coordinated the relaunch of the award-winning foreign policy publication, Open Canada. Most recently, she worked at a Toronto-based asset management firm. Asha now seeks to leverage her research and advocacy experience to design policies that help advance human rights protections, particularly in the data & technology sector.
The Bellwether Episode 3: Online Harms Act with Dr. Taylor Owen