Online harms bill to cost taxpayers over $200 million: report
Posted July 4, 2024 4:23 pm.
A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has found that the proposed federal ‘online harms bill’ could cost Canadian taxpayers more than $200 million.
In a nutshell, the legislation aims to help regulate social media, mitigate harmful content, and support victims of online hate.
Bill C-63 would also create three new bodies: the Digital Safety Commission, tasked with enforcing the act and empowered to levy fines; the Digital Safety Ombudsperson, providing support for social media users; and the Digital Safety Office, overseeing daily operations.
Together, the Digital Safety Commission, Ombudsman, and Office are projected to have about 300 full-time employees at full capacity, based on initial estimates provided by the PBO.
The PBO’s report projects the combined operating costs for these three entities to be $201 million over the next five years — excluding any fines collected from online providers who violate the act.
“It looks like the online harms bill is going to soak taxpayers and further balloon an already bloated federal bureaucracy,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Terrazzano adds that he believes the revelation of high costs may also invite more criticism of the already contested bill.
“If the government wants to keep Canadians safe and avoid trampling on free expression, then the solution is simple: hire more cops, not online hall monitors.”
Terrazzano estimated that the cost of implementing the legislation would “pay the salary of about 300 new police officers.”
Expenses may also increase if the Digital Safety Commission, Ombudsman, or Office require “significant” external legal, IT, or consulting services, the PBO noted.
Conversely, the Digital Safety Commission could potentially generate revenue from administrative penalties and fines.
