British Columbia’s Attorney General Niki Sharma announced on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, that the province is ready to implement its own regulations for social media and AI chatbot use by youth if the federal government doesn’t take action. This could involve collaborating with other provinces.

Concerns Over Youth Safety and Mental Health

The move is driven by growing concerns regarding youth mental health, online safety, and the need for comprehensive oversight of digital platforms. Sharma emphasized the urgency of protecting vulnerable youth from online harms.

Specific Regulatory Measures

On April 17th, B.C. sent a letter to the federal government outlining specific protections it seeks. These include age verification, restrictions on platforms unless proven safe for youth, and the explicit inclusion of AI chatbots within the regulatory framework.

Additional proposed measures include mandatory reporting requirements for companies when users express intentions of violence, and a robust, mandatory oversight mechanism to ensure compliance. The province believes these steps are crucial to safeguarding young people.

Federal Action and Provincial Collaboration

While the federal Liberal Party has expressed support for age restrictions on social media, concrete legislative action is still pending. Manitoba is also proactively planning age-related bans for both social media and AI chatbots, a development Sharma noted with interest.

However, Sharma maintains the federal government possesses superior tools for effective implementation. B.C. is prepared to collaborate with other provinces to establish a unified regulatory approach if federal action is not taken.

The Role of AI and Recent Events

Sharma highlighted a disturbing correlation between increased social media and AI chatbot usage and rising rates of eating disorders, suicide attempts, and sexual exploitation. She stressed that a social media ban alone is insufficient, given the pervasive integration of artificial intelligence.

The tragic school shooting in Tumbler Ridge underscored the potential consequences of inaction. The alleged shooter had been banned by OpenAI last summer for concerning online behavior, but this information wasn’t relayed to law enforcement until after the event. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has since apologized for this failure.

“Private companies should not be the sole arbiters of online safety for children and vulnerable individuals; this responsibility rests with the government,” Sharma stated.

Commitment to Protecting Youth

B.C. is resolute in its commitment to protecting its youth and is actively monitoring Manitoba’s implementation plans. The province will leverage these learnings to inform its own strategy if a collaborative provincial approach becomes necessary.

The overarching goal is not to stifle innovation but to ensure technological progress doesn’t compromise the well-being of young people. The province believes a proactive legal framework is needed to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.