Niki Sharma, Attorney General, and Rick Glumac, Minister of State for AI and New Technologies, have released the following statements in response to the tabling of Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, in federal Parliament:

Sharma said:

“People in B.C., especially children and young people, are being exposed to real and growing harm online. Our government has taken leadership action, including passing and strengthening the Intimate Images Protection Act, to better support people facing that harm. But as technology continues to rapidly evolve, we have been clear: A strong national safety standard is urgently needed, and self-regulation by platforms is not keeping people safe.

“The introduction of the Safe Social Media Act is a promising step toward addressing the harms enabled or amplified by social media and AI chatbot platforms and toward better protecting youth online – but we will continue to advocate for a national reporting threshold.

“I’m encouraged the proposed legislation introduced includes many of the elements that I asked for in my discussions with my federal counterparts, including age-appropriate design standards or restrictions, and oversight mechanisms to ensure and enforce platform compliance.

“While I’m grateful these measures are included, I remained concerned about the timelines for implementation and it does fall short of our government’s ask for a clear national reporting threshold for platforms, particularly when it comes to identifying and reporting credible threats of violence or plans for harm.

“We cannot afford to get this wrong or waste any more time. B.C. has already been the site of too many tragedies involving young children, from Tumbler Ridge to Amanda Todd, Carson Cleland and Maddy Croswell. Their parents have turned their grief into advocacy and have been calling for urgent action so they can help make sure no one else has to suffer what they have.

“Their stories influenced our asks of the federal government, and we will be doing everything we can to ensuring their feedback is incorporated by Ottawa as we closely monitor both the legislation and the regulations that follow.

“This act needs to be passed as quickly as possible, and B.C., along with other provinces and territories, must have a seat at the table as the federal government works out what exactly the guidelines will be and how the new regulator will be able to enforce compliance.

“B.C. will continue to insist on clear, enforceable expectations for platforms, particularly when it comes to identifying and reporting credible threats of violence or plans for harm as may have occurred in Tumbler Ridge. We remain committed to working alongside parents and families in B.C. to make sure their concerns and feedback are reflected in federal action.

“Technology should open doors, not put people at risk. We owe it to families, to young people and to communities across B.C. to act now to make the online world as safe as it can be.”

Glumac said:

“While emerging technologies are important tools to improve the way we learn and the way we work, nothing is more important than people’s safety, particularly for our young people. Responsible innovation means building technology that earns trust and is developed with safety and privacy at its core, so it supports families and communities and keeps pace with the real-world risks people are facing.

“B.C. has been clear about the need for strong national guardrails, and we’re looking forward to hearing more details and working together to ensure new policies work for people in B.C.”

Learn More:

• To read more B.C.’s online safety priorities, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/33676
• For details about Bill C-34, visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2026/06/government-of-canada-introduces-legislation-to-make-social- (canada.ca) media-services-and-ai-chatbots-safer-for-children.html (canada.ca)
• For details about Bill C-16, visit: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/c16/index.html
• To learn more about how B.C. is keeping people safe and communities strong, visit: https://www.gov.bc.ca/safecommunities