The British Columbia government is putting its proposed online harms legislation on hold after reaching an agreement with some of the largest social media platforms to increase safety online.
The government proposed Bill 12 also called Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act in March. If passed Bill 12 would allow the province to recover costs of public health harms associated with “the promotion, marketing and distribution of products that are harmful to adults and children in British Columbia.”
But this week, the government announced to retraction of the bill after social media giants Meta, Snap, TikTok and X agreed to work collaboratively with the province of the development of Bill 12, its public harms legislation, and will be part of BC’s Online Safety Action Table.
The province says it will place Bill 12 on hold while discussions take place on how to create safe, empowering experiences online.
In a news release, the province says it’s an opportunity to bring experts, parents, technology companies and government together to find new ways of helping young people stay safe online and be better protected from online harms. “The Province will place Bill 12 on hold as we convene the first meeting of the table to discuss the tangible steps we can take to help ensure British Columbians have safe, empowering experiences online. Through this work, kids will be better protected from online harms before they happen,” said Premier David Eby.
“Since the introduction of Bill 12, the Province of British Columbia has been engaging with many industry sectors, including the technology sector. The internet has changed how we interact with each other. Digital platforms are powerful tools, which can connect family members and loved ones and are places where we find like-minded people. Places where community is built and sustained. But the internet is also a place where criminals and scammers are constantly seeking new ways to find and extort potential victims.”
“When the Province first announced it would be pursuing public-harms legislation, Premier David Eby stood with the parents of Carson Cleland. Carson was deceived by an online predator, tormented and sexually extorted. He took his own life before his parents were aware of what was happening.”
BC United Leader Kevin Falcon said that the bill received significant public backlash and legislative advocacy by the Official Opposition. “Bill 12 would have had severe unintended consequences for our local businesses and the broader economy. The government’s latest retreat is not only a win for the business community but for every British Columbian who values fairness and clarity in the law,” he said.
