Digital safety pushes Canada to tighten oversight of digital platforms and artificial intelligence

Digital safetyhas become one of the most prominent issues on the agenda of governments around the world, in light of the rapid expansion in the use of social media and artificial intelligence applications among children and adolescents. With growing concerns related to the psychological and social effects of digital environments, many countries are moving to adopt new legislation aimed at enhancing the protection of younger groups and regulating the work of digital platforms.

In this context, Canada announced a new draft digital safety law that includes prohibiting the use of social media for children under the age of sixteen, with the possibility of granting exceptions to some platforms that adhere to specific standards related to the protection of users. The project also includes procedures to regulate chatbots based on artificial intelligence by setting new security standards and establishing a regulatory body specialized in supervising their application.

This trend comes at a time when there is increasing global controversy about the role of digital platforms and artificial intelligence applications in children’s lives, especially with the increasing reliance on these technologies for communication, entertainment, and obtaining information.

Why is digital safety increasingly important?

Recent years have witnessed a significant expansion in the use of digital platforms by children and adolescents, which has prompted many experts and government agencies to warn of the potential effects of this extensive use on mental health and social development.

Canadian authorities believe that some social media platforms and chatbots based on artificial intelligence are designed to attract users’ attention and keep them connected for long periods, which may affect the daily lifestyles of children and teenagers.

Growing concerns also indicate that excessive use of some digital platforms is linked to problems such as anxiety, social isolation, depression, and mental health disorders, which has prompted governments to study ways to reduce these risks and enhance digital safety for younger age groups.

Officials believe that providing a safer digital environment can help children build direct social relationships, enhance concentration in studies, and acquire life skills outside the virtual world.

How is Canada seeking to enhance digital safety?

The Canadian draft law includes a set of measures aimed at raising the level of protection within the digital environment, whether with regard to social media or artificial intelligence applications.

Restrictions on social media

The project prohibits the use of social media for children under the age of sixteen, while allowing some exceptions for platforms that can prove their commitment to specific standards related to the safety and protection of users.

This measure aims to limit children’s exposure to harmful content or digital interactions that may affect their psychological and social development, which supports the achievement of the third goal of good health and well-being.

Organizing Chatbots with Artificial Intelligence

The project includes, in addition to social media, chatbots based on artificial intelligence, as the government plans to create a digital regulatory body that will set safety standards and supervise companies’ compliance with them.

This trend reflects increasing global interest in the potential effects of artificial intelligence on users, especially younger age groups that may deal with these applications frequently.

Penalties for violators

The draft law includes significant financial penalties for companies that do not comply with the required standards, as they may face fines of up to 3% of their global revenues or up to 10 million Canadian dollars. These penalties aim to enhance compliance and ensure that companies assume their responsibilities towards the safety of users.

Legal and regulatory backgrounds

The introduction of the bill comes weeks after a lawsuit was filed by families affected by one of Canada’s worst mass shootings against OpenAI, which accused the company of not taking appropriate action despite allegations that the attacker revealed his plans via ChatGPT without informing the authorities.

The case is still subject to legal debate, however, it has brought to light the responsibility of technical companies and the role of artificial intelligence systems in dealing with content that may pose a threat to individuals or society.

The Canadian government also indicates that the adoption of the legislation may take about a year in Parliament, while the establishment of the new regulatory body may require about an additional 18 months after the law is adopted.

A global trend towards tightening digital controls

In addition to Canada, several countries have begun similar moves towards tightening control over children’s use of digital platforms during the current period. Last December, Australia became the first country in the world to adopt a social media ban for people under the age of sixteen. Data indicate that social media companies suspended nearly five million teenage accounts during the first month of the law’s implementation.

Several European countries, including France, Denmark and Poland, are also considering tightening the rules regulating children’s use of social media, while Greece announced plans to prevent those under the age of fifteen from accessing these platforms as of January 2027.

These trends reflect the growing international conviction of the necessity of enhancing digital safety and developing new regulatory frameworks that keep pace with the rapid transformations in the digital environment and protect children from the potential risks associated with them.

Challenges in implementing digital legislation

Despite the support enjoyed by some regulatory initiatives, their implementation raises a number of practical and legal challenges, the most prominent of which is verifying the ages of users without compromising their privacy, in addition to defining the responsibilities of digital companies and mechanisms for monitoring the content and services they provide.

There is also an ongoing question about how to achieve a balance between protecting children and ensuring access to technology and benefiting from its educational and cognitive benefits, without imposing restrictions that may limit opportunities for positive use of digital platforms.

Digital Safety and Sustainable Development

Digital safety represents an increasingly important aspect in modern societies, especially with the expansion of reliance on technology in various aspects of daily life. Experts stress that building a safer digital environment requires cooperation between governments, technology companies, educational institutions, and families.

Developing clear standards for digital safety contributes to protecting children and adolescents from potential risks, and enhances confidence in using technology in a responsible and balanced manner. This is directly linked to the third goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of good health and well-being, by reducing the psychosocial risks associated with the unsafe use of digital platforms, including anxiety, social isolation, and some challenges associated with mental health.

This trend also supports the fourth goal related to quality education, asSafe digital environments contribute to enhancing children’s benefit from educational tools and modern technologies without being exposed to harmful content or digital practices that may affect their educational journey. It is also linked to the sixteenth goal of building effective institutions and safer societies, by developing regulatory and legal frameworks that keep pace with technical developments and protect users, especially the groups most vulnerable to risks.

In conclusion,The Earth Guards Foundation highlights Canada’s efforts to promote digital safety as part of efforts to protect new generations in the digital age. It also confirms that keeping pace with technical developments requires effective regulatory frameworks that balance innovation and protection, ensuring a safer and more sustainable digital environment for children and communities.