Canada’s proposed Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, would create a Digital Safety Act framework covering social media services and certain AI chatbot services. AI safety advocates described the bill to The Canadian Press as a useful first step, while saying further regulation will be needed.
The Government of Canada introduced Bill C-34 to create new safety obligations for social media services and certain AI chatbot services, with a stated focus on protecting children online.
According to Canadian Heritage, the proposed Safe Social Media Act would establish a Digital Safety Act framework for social media platforms and some AI chatbot services. The official Parliament of Canada LEGISinfo page identifies the bill as Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, and says it was introduced and given first reading in the House of Commons on June 10, 2026.
Canadian Heritage said the legislation is intended to make social media services and AI chatbots safer for children. The government’s announcement says the bill would apply to social media services and “certain AI chatbot services,” creating duties aimed at reducing exposure to harmful content and improving safety practices.
The Canadian Press, in a report published by CityNews Toronto, said the bill would require AI chatbot companies to act responsibly, reduce risks tied to harmful content, and put crisis-intervention protocols in place for situations involving self-harm, suicide, or violence.
Those provisions would mark a notable move by Canada to include AI chatbot services in a broader online safety framework, rather than treating chatbot safety solely as a consumer protection or privacy issue.
AI safety advocates told The Canadian Press that Bill C-34 is a positive “first step” toward regulating AI chatbot companies, but argued that more policy work will be needed. Their concern, as reported by The Canadian Press via CityNews Toronto, is that chatbot systems can play a role in high-risk interactions, including conversations related to self-harm or violence, and that companies should be required to plan for those risks.
The bill’s emphasis on crisis-intervention protocols reflects growing public scrutiny of how conversational AI systems respond when users disclose suicidal thoughts, threats of violence, or other urgent harms. The Canadian Press report frames the proposed requirements as part of a broader debate over what obligations chatbot providers should have when their systems are used in sensitive or dangerous contexts.
The Parliament of Canada’s LEGISinfo entry shows that Bill C-34 had only reached introduction and first reading as of June 10, 2026. That means the proposal remains at an early stage in the legislative process and could change as it moves through debate, committee review, amendments, and further votes.
For now, the government’s materials present the bill as an online safety measure focused on children, while The Canadian Press report highlights its implications for AI chatbot providers and the advocates pressing for stronger safeguards.
If passed, Bill C-34 would add Canada to the group of governments seeking to define legal duties for AI services that interact directly with the public. The available source documents do not establish the final scope of those duties, which services would be captured, or how enforcement would work in practice. Those details will depend on the bill’s final text, regulations, and any changes made during Parliament’s review.
The Government of Canada introduced Bill C 34 to create new safety obligations for social media services and certain AI chatbot services, with a stated focus on protecting children online.
According to Canadian Heritage, the proposed Safe Social Media Act would establish a Digital Safety Act framework for social media platforms and some AI chatbot services.
The official Parliament of Canada LEGISinfo page identifies the bill as Bill C 34, the Safe Social Media Act, and says it was introduced and given first reading in the House of Commons on June 10, 2026.
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