On June 10th, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act (formally known as  An Act to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act). The Safe Social Media Act aims to prevent harm by ensuring that social media services and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are responsible for addressing harm before it occurs.

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The proposed legislation will restrict children under 16 from having accounts on social media services until social media companies can demonstrate that they have put in place sufficient safeguards for children. 

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AI chatbots will be required to report on harmful content such as sharing intimate content, content used to bully a child, and content that includes terrorism or violent extremism. They will also be required to report on harmful behaviour such as AI chatbots posing as professionals and giving medical or legal advice, encouraging users to withdraw socially, or encouraging seld harm, suicide, ot any other acts that could cause death or serious harm.

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The proposed legislation will establish an independent Digital Safety Commission to enforce regulations, ensure compliance, make online services safer for children and support victims of online harms.