Bill C-216: Promotion of Safety in the Digital Age Act

The businesses most affected are operators of online platforms, social media services, apps, and online video gaming services that are used or could reasonably be expected to be used by minors — this covers a wide range of tech companies from large social media platforms to smaller app developers and gaming studios operating in Canada. These businesses would need to implement age verification systems, build parental control features, create dedicated safety settings with privacy-protective defaults, establish reporting channels for online harms, conduct biennial independent safety reviews, and publish annual risk assessment reports. Internet service providers and hosting companies across Canada are also affected, as they face updated mandatory reporting obligations for child sexual exploitation material, including preserving related data for one year and providing transmission data in clear cases. Size matters significantly: while the duties apply broadly, the compliance burden — building age verification, parental controls, personalized recommendation opt-outs, and conducting independent reviews — will be particularly challenging for smaller operators, though the due diligence defence may offer some protection. Fines for non-compliance range up to $25 million for core safety violations and $10 million for transparency and record-keeping failures.