Canada Safe Social Media Act development

The Canadian federal government is advancing Bill C-34, known as the Safe Social Media Act, to mitigate risks posed by social media and AI chatbots to young people. The legislation proposes establishing seven categories of harmful content, mandating stricter removal procedures, and requiring AI chatbots to implement age-appropriate restrictions. To oversee these measures, the act suggests creating the Digital Safety Commission, an independent regulator tasked with audits and enforcement.

Identity Minister Marc Miller has indicated openness to expanding the bill to include gaming and chat platforms like Roblox and Discord. Unlike the proposed blanket ban on social media for users under 16, gaming services might instead face regulations such as enhanced age checks and parental controls to address risks like grooming.

While online safety advocates support the bill, privacy experts have raised concerns regarding the implications of age verification software, noting it may require users to provide biometric data to corporations.