Canada considers adding gaming platforms to digital safety bill

Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller has indicated he is open to expanding Bill C-34, also known as the Safe Social Media Act, to include gaming and chat platforms such as Roblox and Discord.

While the current version of the bill aims to prevent users under 16 from accessing social media networks without specific exemptions, Miller noted that gaming services are a “different beast” and would not face the same blanket under-16 account ban. Instead, the government is considering regulations such as enhanced age checks and parental controls to mitigate risks like grooming and predatory behavior.

Concerns regarding these platforms have been heightened by reports of bad actors targeting children on Roblox, where a significant portion of the user base is under 13. Additionally, scrutiny has increased following reports that Discord was used to plan a deadly school attack in British Columbia. Miller has warned gaming companies that a lack of robust safety protections will likely attract further regulation.