How Canadians are harmed by illegal, sexually explicit material

With any quick Google search, Canadians of all ages can access sexually explicit material. Simple, often innocuous search terms can bring up websites with sexually explicit content, much of which is violent and dehumanizing. In Canada, it is extremely easy to access this, and we see the devastating consequences for our population, especially children and youth.

From March to June of this year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage conducted a study on the dangers of accessing illegal, sexually explicit material on the Internet. The EFC was honoured to contribute to this discussion by submitting a report.

Our approach to the issue of illegal, sexually explicit material is based on biblical principles of respect for the dignity of all people, the desire for justice, and care for the vulnerable. As Christians, we believe it is our duty to uphold and protect the dignity of all people, especially those who are in a situation of vulnerability. In our letter to the committee, we sought to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

We are at a unique moment where public discourse on pornography, including in Parliament, seems more open to considering its dangers. As access to pornography has increased at an alarming rate and artificial intelligence and deepfakes are now evolving, there seems to be an urgent public need to address these issues and protect those who are at risk.

The EFC report outlined the dangers posed by illegal, sexually explicit material online, such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and intimate images distributed without consent. These images have devastating, often lifelong, effects on victims. Once uploaded, they are easily accessible and harmful to Canadian viewers, and they contribute to violence and sex trafficking.

A new threat highlighted in the letter is the rise of AI-generated pornography, also known as deepfakes. As technology advances, there is more access to tools like AI, increasing the risks children face from consuming, creating, and sharing sexually explicit material. These images threaten mental health, reputations, safety, and future school and career opportunities. The use of non-consensual, AI-generated images harasses, harms, and humiliates victims. We must take urgent action to develop laws that protect victims of all ages from generative AI and deepfake pornography.

The report also highlighted the link between online and offline behaviour and how, for example, children and young people who consume and absorb violent content online can begin to imitate the behaviour they see online. This has led to a rise in child abuse among children and an increase in online abusers who are out in person to abuse. Online dangers don’t just stay online.

A third aspect highlighted in the briefing was the violence in mainstream pornography and the impact this has on viewers. While not necessarily illegal, much of the content readily available on pornography platforms depicts violent, degrading and abusive behaviour. The public health impact of this content is evident in the increase in normalised violence and abuse. Pornography shapes what boys and girls expect and accept when it comes to sexual violence in relationships. It negatively impacts their ability to form and maintain healthy relationships. This is a disturbing idea – that the normalisation and increasing consumption of sexually violent pornography by Canadians will have an impact and contribute to harms they face offline.

We have talked about how pornography dehumanizes and degrades people. It removes sexuality from its relational context. It exploits people by portraying them as sexual objects and products, not as individuals created in God’s image, nature and likeness.

The EFC has made recommendations to the Committee which we believe will help protect both victims of illegal content and viewers, and promote the wellbeing of our society. We have expressed the urgency we feel on this matter, knowing that individuals, families and church communities are struggling.

We recommend that pornography platforms be required to introduce meaningful and data protection-compliant age verification to prevent children and young people under the age of 18 from accessing their content. In addition, pornography platforms should be required to verify the age and consent of each person depicted before uploading an image or video.

We are grateful that Parliament is addressing this issue, but further discussions and studies – and actions – are needed on this issue.

What can you do?

Pray. All of these issues are serious – we are confronted with the ugliness of sin. We encourage you to pray for the MPs on the Canadian Heritage Committee – that they will see the urgency to make change and protect Canadians. Pray for their hearts and minds as they are confronted with such disturbing information.

We also encourage you to pray for some specific bills currently before Parliament – Bill S-210 and Bill C-270. These bills require age verification and require proof of age and consent when uploading pornographic material. Both bills are important steps in the right direction to stop exploitation online.

Contact your Member of Parliament. Any constituent can contact their MP to express their concerns about the harms caused by easy access to sexually explicit material online. You can advocate for change by encouraging your MP to vote for bills S-210 and C-270 and by talking to them about the harms you see in your community. You can find your MP’s contact information here.

Please also pray for the EFC as we continue to contribute to this important issue in the coming months. Pray that we will be able to represent biblical principles well and have opportunities to communicate the need for change.

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The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (l’Alliance évangélique du Canada) is the national association of evangelical Christians in Canada. Since 1964, the EFC has provided a national forum for evangelicals, fostered partnerships in church ministry, conducted research on religious and social trends, and been a constructive voice for biblical principles in life and society.

Originally published by EFC, republished with permission.