B.C. puts public harms legislation on hold to work with social media giants

The provincial government is putting its public harms legislation on hold to convene with tech giants Meta, X, Snap, and TikTok.

In a statement issued Tuesday, B.C. says the tech companies have agreed to work with the province to form the BC Online Safety Action Table, which will help protect youth from online harms.

“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,” the province stated.

“Premier Eby made a promise to Carson’s parents that his government would find ways to make sure Carson left behind a legacy that will help protect other young people. Helping young people stay safe online is one of the most important challenges facing families, parents, and social media companies today.”

Originally, Eby says Bill 12 was introduced to recognize “population level harms and allow the government to recover the costs when those harms are realized.” He adds it was also meant to help address some of those harms through public education.

“When we did that, I think it’s safe to say that we got the attention of these major multinational companies,” Eby said in an unrelated press conference Tuesday. “We were contacted by Meta and we entered into discussions, and I think it’s fair to say that I was very skeptical following the initial contact.”

Eby says before moving forward with Meta, he asked for assurance that the partnership would be meaningful. Now, he says he’s reassured the companies will be working with B.C. “on a defined timeline to change in a meaningful way.”

“They understand our concern and the urgency with which we’re approaching this issue. They also understand the bill is still there and it can come forward if necessary,” he said.

“Our hope is that we can make changes that are going to make a difference right now for kids and for families. “

Bridgitte Anderson, president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, says she’s pleased to see the province put Bill 12 on hold after concerns were expressed by the business community about its overarching meaning.

“The potential ramifications of Bill 12’s expansive interpretation, as summarized in several articles from B.C.’s legal community, were of serious concern to B.C. businesses,” she stated.

Instead of pursuing the bill again in the future, Anderson says she’d like to see the government work with businesses to develop more specific measures that avoid “unintended consequences.”