Pornography changes the brain, impacting attitudes and behaviours and promoting harmful views about sex. The harms of pornography are well-documented, particularly for children. A recent report by the United Kingdom’s Children’s Commissioner noted the link between pornography exposure and child sexual abuse perpetrated by other children.
Some jurisdictions are now rightly taking a public health approach to pornography, seeking to emphasize the negative consequences on society of viewing pornography. Other jurisdictions, including the U.K., France, and multiple American states, have implemented age verification laws seeking to protect children from the devastating consequences of pornography. Canada has fallen behind and needs to take steps to address online pornography.
A recent Canadian attempt at age verification died on the order paper due to the recent election call, but had been supported by the Conservatives, NDP, Bloc, Greens, and a handful of Liberals. Following the election, however, a new bill, S-209, was promptly introduced in the Senate, seeking to implement age verification or age estimation for anyone viewing pornography.
Canadians challenge age verification requirements with a variety of arguments, mainly focusing on parental responsibility and freedom of expression. But those arguments do not negate the need for the government to protect Canadian children from the consequences of pornography.
Parental responsibility
Former chair of the CRTC, Peter Menzies, argues that “The state has no business in the WiFi of the nation” and that government should simply “empower parents and families with the equipment they need to control their household’s internet access as they see fit.” Of course, children need to be protected from pornography, the argument goes, but the risks of government intervention are too great.
Parents do need to understand the impact of pornography and take preventive steps. For example, parents can restrict access on household devices, control privacy settings on their child’s social media account, or be notified when there is activity on their credit card on an adult-only website. Yet governments can and should do more. Filters and restrictions on devices at home can help, but kids can still be exposed to pornography outside the home or on other devices. One study estimates that at least 17 households in a child’s network would need filtering technology to protect a child from encountering pornography.
