Niki Sharma, Attorney General, and Rick Glumac, Minister of State for AI and New Technologies, have released the following statements about B.C.’s ongoing advocacy to the federal government about online harms legislation and AI regulation:

Sharma said:

“In recent months, B.C. has witnessed first-hand the devastating impacts that unregulated use of social media platforms and AI chatbots can have on individuals, families and our society as a whole. Those of us who are parents have watched with horror as story after story has come out about the harms being caused to our children’s long-term health and well-being. 

“For too long, the biggest tech companies in the world have been given free rein that has resulted in experimentation on the minds of young, vulnerable people. From the Tumbler Ridge tragedy to people using AI to generate explicit deepfake images of minors; from shadowy tech algorithms shoving triggering content in the faces of young people struggling with eating disorders, to chatbots providing teens with tips on how to take their own lives, it has become abundantly clear that we can no longer rely on companies to police themselves.

“That is why my ministry and I have been so persistent in advocating the federal government to take stronger, immediate, enforceable action to protect people, especially children and youth, from online harms. 

“Last month, I travelled to Ottawa to meet ministers Evan Solomon and Marc Miller to discuss this issue. Last week, I followed up with a letter outlining the exact legislative action B.C. believes must be taken at once. In particular, I am calling for federal online harms legislation to be introduced that sets minimum safety standards for youth. What form that takes – a total ban for users under a certain age, or  guidelines on types of content that should be restricted by age – will be determined by experts, but it is evident that stronger guardrails are needed. 

“Recent polling has found an overwhelming majority of British Columbians and Canadians support social media bans for youth. Our role is to meet the needs of the people in this province and address their concerns. British Columbia has proudly led national and global fights to protect people from harms caused by bad-faith actors, like the biggest tobacco, opioid and vaping manufacturers. We have enacted provincial legislation like the landmark Intimate Images Protection Act to help keep young people safer online.  

“While we applaud Manitoba for moving forward with its own ban and are monitoring its implementation with keen interest, we believe that for these safety measures to be effective, they must be led by the federal government. I have been encouraged by how willing ministers Fraser, Solomon and Miller have been in engaging with us, and I urge them to table online harms legislation before another tragedy strikes. 

“For too many parents, families and communities, it is too late to act preventatively. But for countless more, we still have the opportunity to make sure they don’t have to learn what it means to lose a child. These companies say they share our goal of keeping our kids safe, and it is time we ask them to put their money where their mouth is and prove it if they want to continue operating in Canada.”

Glumac said:

“Artificial intelligence is changing how we work, learn and connect, and B.C. has the talent and infrastructure to be a global leader in this space. But innovation must be matched with responsibility, especially when it comes to protecting children and young people.

“We need consistent, Canada-wide standards for all AI companies, including clear reporting thresholds when serious safety concerns or credible risks are identified. In the wake of the tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, and reports related to the use of AI technologies, I wrote to the federal government to reinforce B.C.’s call for clear national guardrails.

“Strong, enforceable federal rules will help ensure AI is used responsibly, support workers and families, and give people confidence that these powerful technologies are being developed and deployed with their safety and well-being at the forefront.”

Learn More:

• Read the letter from the Attorney General to the federal government here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Ref702224_letter_Solomon_and_Miller.pdf
• Read the letter from the Minister of State for AI and New Technologies here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Ref170865_Solomon_and_Miller_Signed.pdf
• Read more about government’s efforts on creating a safer internet for everyone here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/33338