PILLAR 02
Online Safety & Technology-Facilitated Exploitation
The internet has created new risks for children that Canadian law hasn’t caught up to. PROTECT Canada is working with partners across Canada to change that.
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?
Your child’s safety online shouldn’t depend on a social media company’s goodwill.
Most children spend significant time online - gaming, on social media, messaging with friends. And most of the time, that’s fine. But online spaces are also used by people who want to harm children, and platforms haven’t been held sufficiently accountable.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOUR CHILD?
Sextortion - where someone pressures a child into sharing intimate images, then threatens to share them - is a growing problem affecting boys and girls. AI is used to create fake abuse images of real children. Platform takedown processes for abuse content are too slow and inconsistent. Predators use social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps to target children.
WHAT CAN YOU DO RIGHT NOW?
Advocacy actions you can take today
Talk to your child about online safety
Start age-appropriate conversations about body safety, privacy, and who they talk to online.
Contact your MP
Ask them to support platform accountability and stronger online child protection laws.
See resources for families
Partner organizations offer tools for parents navigating online risk.
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
Guides, tools, and where to go next
PROTECT Canada is a policy initiative. For direct support, use partner services. For advocacy, use the action hub.
What this means for your family
The apps and platforms your child uses every day should have a legal obligation to act quickly when abuse happens, not just a voluntary policy.
THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM
Technology-facilitated exploitation has outpaced the legislative and regulatory framework.
End-to-end encryption, generative AI used to produce CSAM, and cross-border exploitation have created gaps in law enforcement capacity and platform accountability. Current frameworks, including the Bill C-63 trajectory, do not adequately address the full range of technology-facilitated child exploitation.
KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
- Mandatory 24-hour CSAM takedown requirements for Canadian-accessible platforms
- Criminalization of AI-generated CSAM, including Bill C-16 deepfake amendment expansion
- Sextortion-specific legislative provisions with enhanced penalties for offences targeting minors
- Cross-border electronic data preservation for law enforcement
- Age verification legislative framework for platforms accessible to minors
- Platform liability provisions and reporting obligations, Bill C-63 trajectory
LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT
Bills, statutes, and policy landscape
Bill C-291 (mandatory CSAM reporting and 24-hour takedown), Bill C-16 deepfake amendments, and the Bill C-63 online harms framework trajectory are the primary legislative vehicles. The Online Safety Working Group monitors all three.
WORKING GROUP & RESOURCES
Online Safety Working Group
- Online Safety Working Group outputs and briefs
- Comparative analysis of global takedown mandates
- Committee submissions as C-291 / C-63 advance
LATEST NEWS & UPDATES FOR PILLAR 2
Legislation changes, coalition news, media, new resources for this pillar.
APRIL 2026
Online Safety Working Group prepares brief on Bill C-63
Emphasis on age-appropriate standards and platform accountability.
MARCH 2026
Briefing paper: Global takedown windows compared
EU, UK, and proposed Bill C-291 compared.
Take action on this pillar
Your voice strengthens the push for reform. Share what you’ve learned or contact your representative to let them know child protection is a priority.
Join the working group
We are actively seeking experts from legal, academic, clinical, and survivor advocacy sectors to contribute to policy submissions and research outputs.
