Friday, May 8, 2026
ADVT 
National

Government to bring forward online harms bill, AI minister says

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Jan, 2026 11:46 AM
  • Government to bring forward online harms bill, AI minister says

Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon says the federal government is working on online harms legislation.

Solomon says Culture Minister Marc Miller will bring that bill forward.

The bill would be separate from privacy legislation Solomon will introduce, and from a justice bill the government tabled last year that includes elements criminalizing some deepfakes.

The Liberal government introduced the Online Harms Act in 2024, which would have imposed new requirements on social media companies and created an online regulator, but the bill never became law.

Under Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Liberals initially signalled they would not bring the bill back in the same form, but would instead tackle aspects of online harms in other legislation.

Solomon’s comments follow calls from women and children’s advocates to bring back the defunct bill, and after a report in the Globe and Mail said an upcoming online harms bill could include a social media ban for children under 14.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

MORE National ARTICLES

Prime Minister Mark Carney expected to call federal election on Sunday

Prime Minister Mark Carney expected to call federal election on Sunday
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to launch a federal election campaign on Sunday and send Canadians to the polls as soon as April 28. While sources would not confirm the date of the vote, federal campaigns must run at least 37 days.

Prime Minister Mark Carney expected to call federal election on Sunday

Bank of Canada signals shift in how it sets rates amid tariff uncertainty

Bank of Canada signals shift in how it sets rates amid tariff uncertainty
Tiff Macklem says that means monetary policymakers may be “acting quickly” when it comes to setting interest rates, rather than looking far into the horizon to stay “flexible and adaptable.”

Bank of Canada signals shift in how it sets rates amid tariff uncertainty

Descent warning triggered on Delta plane seconds before it crashed at Pearson: report

Descent warning triggered on Delta plane seconds before it crashed at Pearson: report
A preliminary report into a plane crash at Toronto's Pearson airport last month says the aircraft's alert system issued a warning about the descent rate less than three seconds before touchdown. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released its report Thursday morning as it continues to investigate the Feb. 17 crash landing that sent 21 people to hospital, noting that it's too early to draw any conclusions.

Descent warning triggered on Delta plane seconds before it crashed at Pearson: report

RCMP in Northwest Territories charge B.C. man in fatal shooting

RCMP in Northwest Territories charge B.C. man in fatal shooting
RCMP say charges have been laid in a shooting that killed one person and injured two others in the Northwest Territories. Officers responded to a home early Saturday morning in the hamlet of Fort Providence, where a 31-year-old man was found dead.

RCMP in Northwest Territories charge B.C. man in fatal shooting

Body of missing Langley senior found months after she went missing: RCMP

Body of missing Langley senior found months after she went missing: RCMP
Mounties in Langley say the body of an 82-year-old woman has been found several months after she went missing. Jane Whitehouse was reported missing on Oct. 25 last year. 

Body of missing Langley senior found months after she went missing: RCMP

Poilievre says he wants to greenlight Ring of Fire mining permits within six months

Poilievre says he wants to greenlight Ring of Fire mining permits within six months
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday he'll "set a deadline" to approve all federal permits for mining in northwestern Ontario's Ring of Fire region within six months. Poilievre said that a Conservative government would also commit $1 billion over three years to build a road network to link the mining sites to Ontario's highway network and First Nations communities in the area.

Poilievre says he wants to greenlight Ring of Fire mining permits within six months