The five categories of content that the federal government is seeking to curb—including incitements of violence, hate speech, and non-consensual distribution of intimate images—“have little in common, beyond the fact they are illegal,” the authors Cynthia Khoo, Lex Gill and Christopher Parsons wrote in a submission on behalf of the University of Toronto-based research centre to Canadian Heritage’s consultation. Trying to address them under a single law is “incoherent, counterproductive, and constitutionally untenable.” (The Logic)

Talking point: Like other researchers and advocates focused on digital rights and vulnerable communities, Citizen Lab warned that Ottawa’s proposals for 24-hour takedown and proactive-monitoring and mandatory-reporting requirements could lead platforms to censor and surveil users. Canadian Heritage launched its two-month consultation at the end of July; policy experts have criticized the exercise as perfunctory and objected to it being run during a federal election campaign. “Technology-facilitated violence, abuse, and harassment is a real problem” and “plagues members of historically marginalized groups,” wrote the Citizen Lab authors. Ottawa’s proposed solution, they say, won’t help.