The Canadian government is introducing what it says are the most
stringent laws against internet child pornography in the world. Its
proposal, contained in a wide-ranging justice bill, would make
surfing for child porn an offence, not just the downloading or
possession of it, as in most other countries.
The bill, which the government is expected to pass through
Parliament without difficulty, provides that those who “knowingly
cause child pornography to be viewed” will be guilty of an offence.
Inadvertent viewing of child porn, for example by opening an e-mail
attachment without knowing its contents, will not be a crime.
Accessing child porn will carry a five year maximum prison
sentence.
According to news agency Reuters, other new offences in the bill
include transmitting child pornography, whether by e-mail or
otherwise, of providing child porn site addresses, and of exporting
child porn from Canada (importing it is already a crime under
Canadian law). The maximum penalty for these offences would be 10
years imprisonment. Judges can also order the deletion from
Canadian servers of any on-line child porn and any links to foreign
child porn sites.
