Canada’s Bill C-34: A New Digital Safety Framework

The introduction of Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act (the “SSMA”) marks an ambitious attempt by the Canadian government to regulate social media, online services, and AI chatbots. The legislation would establish a new Digital Safety Act (DSA), create a Digital Safety Commission of Canada, impose safety obligations on social media and AI chatbot services, and prohibit social media accounts for children under 16 unless a service qualifies for an exemption based on child-safety safeguards.

Viewed in isolation, Bill C-34 may appear to be another online harms bill. It is not. The legislation represents a synthesis of several international regulatory trends that have emerged to protect the public from online, social media, and AI chatbot harms. It reflects key elements of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (“EU DSA”), Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 social-media restrictions for children, and a growing body of U.S. state legislation