Canada has decided to fight cyber-bullying by campaigning against it heavily on TV and through online ads. Peter MacKay, the justice minister of the country, said that online and TV campaigns will raise awareness of cyber-bullying. It will also target on informing people on the kind of legal consequences they might have to face if they torment people online.

Mr MacKay revealed the federal plan in front of hundreds of students present at Fairview Junior High School on Thursday, Jan 9, 2014. The school is situated in a suburb near Halifax. He mentioned that everyone was expected to get involved as the government would genuinely seek everyone's participation in raising the awareness of cyber-bullying.

Mr MacKay expressed his concern that people have a "greater understanding" of the costs of using the Internet with the opportunities and advantages it provides. However, people should make sure that they use the Internet for positive reasons, he said. He mentioned Rehtaeh Parsons, the Halifax teenager who was a victim of cyber-bullying and was eventually killed after trying to commit suicide in April 2013.

CBC reports that 13-year-old Brooke Laroche admitted that she was cyber-bullied on a Web site named Ask.fm. She demanded that measures should be taken against those who hid behind the walls of Internet. Ms Laroche said that people are capable of being extremely rude without disclosing their real identity. They believe that they can say anything they may want to as there is no way they can be charged for it, she said. Ms Laroche mentioned that she was called ugly along with other things by the cyber-bullies.

The Canadian government will spend $4 million on the campaign. The primary phase in the campaign will comprise of an awareness ad named "Stop Hating Online." It will be shown both on TV and as online commercials. The campaign will focus on how cyber-bullying leads to criminal actions.

The second phase, which is scheduled to be launched in February, of the campaign is going to motivate the Canadian youth to act against cyber-bullying.