B.C. calls federal social media ban for kids 'promising' but inadequate

The British Columbia government has welcomed the federal government's introduction of the Safe Social Media Act as a "promising step" toward safeguarding young people online, though it argues the legislation does not go far enough. Attorney General Niki Sharma stated that the bill is a move in the right direction to address the "real tragedies" faced by youth on digital platforms.

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For far too long, we’ve seen real tragedies in B.C. and abroad. Many parents struggling to figure out what to do with safety measures, from coming from their kids’ phones and what the harms that they could face on those platforms.

The federal legislation, introduced Wednesday, seeks to impose a "duty to protect children" on online platforms, including social media and AI chatbots. It mandates age-appropriate designs, content warning labels, and measures to curb addictive behaviors like endless scrolling. Additionally, platforms will have a "duty to act responsibly" to mitigate risks from harmful chatbot interactions and implement crisis intervention protocols for users expressing self-harm or violent intentions.

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Whatever moves through the house should move quickly and when we set up the regulatory regime it seems like a lot is left to the regulation.

However, B.C. officials expressed disappointment that the act does not include a similar age restriction for AI chatbots as it does for social media. Sharma highlighted the case of a teenage shooter in Tumbler Ridge whose behavior on ChatGPT was flagged prior to the attack, but OpenAI only alerted the RCMP after the incident resulted in fatalities and injuries. This incident underscores B.C.'s push for mandatory reporting legislation.

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When it comes to that, those have to move quickly along with the regulatory oversight in place.

Sharma emphasized the need for swift action and robust regulatory oversight. She reiterated B.C.'s call for a clear national reporting threshold for platforms, particularly concerning the identification and reporting of credible threats of violence or plans for harm. The province plans to continue advocating for these stronger measures, believing the current bill falls short of adequately addressing the risks children face online.

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It does fall short of our government’s ask for a clear national reporting threshold for platforms, particularly when it comes to identifying and reporting credible threats of violence or plans for harm.