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OTTAWA, Ontario — The Senate of Canada on Wednesday approved bill S-209, titled the “Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act,” legislation that would require adult websites operating for commercial purposes to confirm that users in Canada are at least 18 years old.
The measure specifies that age verification must be performed by an independent third party, described as one that “deals at arm’s length from any organization making pornographic material available on the Internet for commercial purposes.”
Responsibility for defining what constitutes “commercial purposes” under the law would rest with the governor general and the federal cabinet.
If the bill is passed by the House of Commons and enacted, noncompliant websites could face financial penalties of up to $250,000 for an initial violation and up to $500,000 for subsequent violations.
Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne introduced S-209 in May 2025. Her previous attempts to establish nationwide age verification rules did not succeed, including a 2024 proposal that raised concerns from Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne and others regarding potential censorship. Dufresne later expressed support for S-209, telling lawmakers last year that it addressed privacy issues that earlier proposals had not.
The Canadian Bar Association opposed the bill at the time of its introduction, stating that its lack of detail could permit regulations requiring intrusive forms of age verification and could result in “collateral censorship.”
The legislation directs the Federal Court to order internet service providers to block access to pornographic material when websites fail to comply. During committee review, senators removed language indicating that blocking measures could limit adult access to lawful content or result in the removal of non-pornographic material alongside targeted content. The revised version does not explicitly prohibit those outcomes and leaves key aspects of enforcement to be determined by the government.
Before the vote, Conservative Party Sen. Yohan Martin, who serves as deputy opposition leader, described Miville-Dechêne as “a champion” and said the bill reflects an effort to balance protection and privacy.
“I believe we now have before us a bill that, while recognizing that perfect enforcement does not exist, offers a stronger and more proportionate framework,” Martin said. “The message we must send today is simple: When it comes to protecting children in the digital space, inaction is not an option.”
