STATEMENT: New made-in-Canada online safety bill an important step towards safeguarding children online

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) is optimistic and encouraged by the tabling of Bill C-34 — the Safe Social Media Act. This bill prioritizes children’s rights to safety and protection, helping Canada to catch up to other G7 countries with online safety legislation. This is a crucial step towards protecting Canadian children — their personal safety, mental health, and well-being — in the digital environments they use every day.

For over 25 years, C3P has documented a steep and accelerating rise in online harms against children, including child sexual abuse and exploitation. C3P operates Canada’s tipline to report the online sexual exploitation of children, Cybertip.ca, which received almost 30,000 reports last year. Of these reports, 26% came directly from victimized youth. We’ve also witnessed a 300% increase in reports concerning sextortion in the past five years¹ as well as rising reports of online sadistic violence and AI-fueled victimization, representing the public safety emergency unravelling before our very eyes. The urgency is undeniable as too many lives have been sacrificed.

The tabling of the Safe Social Media Act is a historic day that could turn the tide on this trajectory. By establishing clear obligations, most notably delaying access to social media until age 16, this bill recognizes that childhood is a finite and vulnerable period – one that demands protection, not exploitation.

Other key components of the bill which will provide better protections for Canadian children include the inclusion of an independent empowered regulator and the duty to remove child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

The safety of our youth online can no longer be trumped by the commercial interests of social media companies. We’re confident this bill has the potential to reverse this gross misalignment of interests.

In the coming weeks, C3P will carefully review the details of this new bill and provide a more thorough assessment. We look forward to the opportunity to support the government, members of Parliament and senators in any way possible as they begin this crucial work.

In solidarity with children and Canadian families.

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