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B.C. is inching closer to a ban on social media for kids, after the Manitoba government announced it was pushing forward on the idea over the weekend.
Attorney General Niki Sharma said she’ll be reaching out to Manitoba to get more details, and preparing British Columbia to move on the issue if Ottawa fails to come up with a framework.
“I recently sent a letter and met with (Identity and Culture Minister) Marc Miller and (Artificial Intelligence Minister) Evan Soloman, the ministers in Ottawa, demanding action on a federal level,” said Sharma.
“I think that’s the best place because it covers all of Canada. But I’ve also been very clear, if we don’t see action on a federal level then we will take action in B.C. when it comes to protecting our youth. It’s really important.”
Australia was the first country to forbid social media companies like TikTok, Meta, Snapchat and even YouTube from accessing content if they are under 16 years of age. Other countries have since expressed interest in following suit.
In Canada, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan are considering legislation.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said on the weekend he is tired of tech companies profiting on “hacking” the brains of children with their addictive algorithms and content that is not appropriate for their age.
“What’s worse, they amplify comparisons between yourself and artificial standards, they amplify outrage and they expose kids to content they are not ready for,” said Kinew. “And that is why our government will ban social media and AI chatbots for children and youth in manitoba.”
B.C. has become more vocal after it was revealed the shooter who killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge in February had been communicating with ChatGPT. ChatGPT parent company OpenAI issued a public apology for its involvement.
It’s unclear if B.C. would also wrap chatbots and artificial intelligence services in a social media ban, or whether Ottawa is considering that also.
READ ALSO: Child advocates to rally for online harms bill covering AI chatbots, gaming
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