Youth advocates urge Ottawa to consult them before a new online harms bill

Youth advocates at a Parliament Hill news conference say they were excluded from drafting Bill C-63 and are calling for meaningful youth involvement and a national digital safety framework before Ottawa introduces new online harms legislation.

Youth advocates held a news conference on Parliament Hill to call for stronger youth participation in federal online safety policy and to frame online safety as a human-rights issue. They said current systems are not supporting young people and noted that Bill C-63 died on the order paper after Parliament was prorogued. The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights released a Youth Digital Rights Blueprint outlining concerns and proposals. The advocates said young people felt tokenized during past consultations and want meaningful involvement early in the policy process. Key points: - Advocates with the John Humphrey Centre asked the federal government to treat online safety as a human-rights issue and to consult youth before reintroducing online harms legislation. - Bill C-63 did not advance after Parliament was prorogued, and the report says youth were often consulted only after decisions were made and faced inaccessible language. - The Youth Digital Rights Blueprint lists risks youth face online, including gender- and identity-based violence on gaming platforms, sexual exploitation, data and privacy concerns, and mental health impacts. - The report proposes a national digital safety framework aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and organizes its recommendations around participation, protection, remedy and support. - Calls to action include creating a national youth digital safety advisory council, establishing permanent youth liaison roles across federal departments, and increasing investment in youth-led research on digital rights, platform accountability and AI ethics. - Justice Minister Sean Fraser said last summer the government would take a "fresh" look at online harms legislation, and the report notes comparable measures have recently been introduced or discussed in countries such as Australia and France. Summary: Advocates said engaging youth in policy consultations can lead to more sustainable policies and better reflect diverse youth experiences across regions and identities. Undetermined at this time.