Next week, the House of Commons will debate Bill C-34. This follows the Privacy Commissioner's launch of the new code.

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The 14-year delay since the Amanda Todd tragedy

Advocates for youth safety are calling for more robust protections than those currently proposed in Bill C-34. the push for the Safe Social Media Act comes after years of perceived inaction from federal lawmakers regarding digital harms. According to the report, Sara Austin, the founder and CEO of Children First Canada, noted that the delay in passing meaningful legislation has been devastating for young people.

Austin specifically highlighted the long-standing lack of progress, noting it has been 14 years since the death of Amanda Todd due to sextortion and cyberbullying. She argued that Parliament has "dithered" for far too long, leving children vulnerable to the evolving risks of the digital age.

Why Roblox and Discord are being left out of the conversation

The current focus of Bill C-34 on social media platforms may leave significant digital gaps in child protection. While the bill aims to make social media safer, critics argue that the scope is too narrow to address where children actually spend their time. Aany Vital Ramos, a 17-year-old student, warned that limiting regulations to social media alone fails to address the underlying risks found in other digital environments.

Ramos pointed out that many young people are active on gaming platforms like Roblox and communication tools such as Discord. these platforms present similar risks regarding cyberbullying and harmful content, yet they may not fall under the same regulatory scrutiny as traditional social media giants.

Philippe Dufresne’s demaand for more than just recommendations

Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne is seeking expanded enforcement powers to back the newly launched Children's Privacy Code. The code outlines expectations for how organizations must handle children's personal information, including requirements for age-appropriate communication and prohibitions on profiling or manipulation. However, Dufresne admitted that his office currently lacks the necessary tools to ensure widespread compliance.

As Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne noted, his office has successfully used its existing powers to address issues with TikTok and deep fakes involving Grok. despite these successes, he emphasized that more significant enforcement powers are required to move beyond mere investigations and recommendations to truly hold companies accountable.

The data privacy gap in EdTech and AI chatbots

Protecting children requires a shift in focus from simple content moderation to comprehensive data privacy. While much of the public debate centers on what kids see online, there is a growing concern regarding the data they generate. Sara Austin emphasized that children have a right to have their data protected, not just a right to be shielded from harmful content.

This raises several critical questions that the current legislative framework has yet to fully resolve:

  • Will educational technology (EdTech) companies , which hold highly sensitive student data, be held to the same standards as social media firms?
  • How will the rise of AI chatbots be managed to prevent the unauthorized profiling of minors?
  • Can the new code effectively prevent the large-scale exposure of children's data by companies operating outside the social media sphere?