Bill C-275: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual assault material)

This bill primarily affects businesses involved in content creation, distribution, and hosting — including online platforms, social media companies, adult entertainment producers, web hosting services, and internet service providers operating in Canada. Any business that publishes, distributes, transmits, or makes visual content available could face serious criminal liability if that content depicts non-consensual sexual activity, even in realistic fictional depictions. For-profit offences carry aggravated sentencing, which specifically targets businesses monetizing such material. Film and media production companies would need to exercise heightened due diligence, as a belief that depicted activity was consensual is not a defence unless all reasonable steps were taken to verify consent and ensure the material does not depict activity as non-consensual.