CA Bill C-34 (Safe Social Media Act)
An Act to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Safe Social Media Act)
Proposed Canadian federal legislation that would create a Digital Safety Act and an independent Digital Safety Commission of Canada, imposing safety duties on social media services and AI chatbot services. Notable as the first Canadian bill to place specific statutory duties on AI chatbot services, including crisis-intervention and harm-mitigation measures, alongside child-protection and transparency obligations.
Jurisdiction
Canada
Enacted
Pending
Effective
TBD
Enforcement
Digital Safety Commission of Canada (to be established)
Introduced and given First Reading in the House of Commons on June 10, 2026 (45th Parliament, 1st Session). Successor to the lapsed Bill C-63 (Online Harms Act).
Parliament of Canada — Bill C-34 (First Reading)Why It Matters
First Canadian federal proposal to impose statutory safety duties specifically on AI chatbot services, including crisis-intervention requirements, following the lapse of the earlier Online Harms Act (Bill C-63).
Recent Developments
Introduced and given First Reading in the House of Commons on June 10, 2026 by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture (Marc Miller). Succeeds Bill C-63 (Online Harms Act), which did not proceed in the previous Parliament. Establishes a Digital Safety Act and an independent Digital Safety Commission of Canada. Many operative details — including required design features, the definition of crisis situations, and penalty amounts — are deferred to regulations to be developed. Sources: parl.ca Bill C-34 (First Reading); canada.ca backgrounder, June 10, 2026.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Social media services with a significant Canadian user base (including livestreaming and adult-content services)
- AI chatbot services
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Duty to identify risks of harm on regulated services and adopt measures to address them
- Duty to protect children through mandated design features and minimum-age restrictions (including for access to pornographic content)
- Duty of transparency, including publication of a digital safety plan and accessible user guidelines
- Duty for AI chatbot services to act responsibly, including measures to mitigate communicating harmful content and to intervene in crisis situations
- Mechanism for persons in Canada to complain to the Digital Safety Commission and seek removal of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate content
Compliance & Enforcement
Penalties
Penalties pending regulatory determination
View on map
Canada
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
Canada. (n.d.). An Act to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Safe Social Media Act).
Related Regulations
C-63
Would have established Digital Safety Commission with platform duties for seven harmful content categories including content inducing children to harm themselves. Required 24-hour CSAM takedown.
AU OSA Phase 2 Codes
Phase 2 industry codes under Australia's Online Safety Act extending age-restricted material obligations to AI companion chatbots, generative AI services, search engines, app stores, and gaming platforms. Requires robust age assurance, prohibits AI-generated sexually explicit conversations with minors, and mandates suicide/self-harm content safeguards.
UK OSA
One of the most comprehensive platform content moderation regimes globally. Creates specific duties around suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content for children with 'highly effective' age assurance requirements.
Brazil ECA Digital
Comprehensive child digital safety law applying to any IT product or service directed at or likely to be accessed by minors in Brazil, with extraterritorial reach.
AZ AI Disclosures for Minors
Establishes disclosure and safety requirements for conversational AI services interacting with minors, including crisis response protocols, anti-gamification measures, and prohibition on AI claiming professional mental health credentials.
Ofcom Children's Codes
Ofcom codes requiring user-to-user services and search services to protect children from harmful content including suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content. Explicitly covers AI chatbots that enable content sharing between users. Requires detection technology, content moderation, and recommender system controls.
Last updated June 14, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.