By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
26 OCTOBER 2026
Canada’s proposed digital-safety legislation is facing renewed questions over whether online gaming platforms should be subject to stronger protections for children, as the federal government considers how to respond to risks linked to social media, artificial intelligence and interactive online services.
Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, has expressed concern about gaming platforms that include features resembling social media, warning that these services may create additional challenges for protecting young users.
The issue is emerging as Parliament examines Bill C-34, known as the Safe Social Media Act, which proposes new responsibilities for social media companies and artificial intelligence chatbot operators to reduce online harm.
The legislation is intended to strengthen protections against harmful content, improve platform accountability and give children a safer online environment. However, questions remain about how the proposed rules would apply to gaming services where users can communicate, build online communities and interact with strangers.
Gaming platforms draw government attention
Online gaming has evolved beyond traditional video games played individually or with friends. Many services now incorporate public chat rooms, messaging systems, user-generated content and social networking features.
These functions can allow children to form friendships and participate in online communities, but they can also expose them to unwanted contact, cyberbullying, grooming and inappropriate material.
Miller has said he is concerned about gaming platforms that have social-media-like features and whether they would comply with the proposed legislation.
His comments suggest that the government may need to consider how the boundaries between social media, online gaming and other digital services affect child safety.
Some popular gaming environments allow users to communicate with strangers, exchange messages and participate in virtual worlds. Depending on how a service is designed and classified under the legislation, these functions may raise questions about whether existing safeguards are sufficient.
The government’s challenge will be to determine which services should fall within the law’s scope and what obligations should apply without unnecessarily restricting legitimate online activities.
What Bill C-34 proposes
Introduced in June 2026, Bill C-34 would establish a new Digital Safety Act and create the Digital Safety Commission of Canada to oversee compliance.
The proposed law would require regulated services to take reasonable steps to reduce users’ exposure to harmful content and provide accessible tools for reporting material and blocking other users.
It would also establish duties intended to protect children, including age-related safeguards and design requirements for regulated services.
Under the bill, certain social media platforms would have to take measures to prevent children under 16 from maintaining accounts, although exemptions could be available to platforms that demonstrate adequate safeguards.
The legislation also proposes obligations for AI chatbot services, including measures to reduce the risk of harmful interactions and respond appropriately to crisis situations.
In addition, regulated platforms would face requirements concerning non-consensual intimate content and child sexual abuse material.
The proposed Digital Safety Commission would be responsible for overseeing compliance and could exercise enforcement powers, including issuing orders and imposing penalties under the legislation.
However, Bill C-34 remains under parliamentary consideration. Its provisions are proposals and could change as lawmakers debate and examine the legislation.
Will gaming services be covered?
One of the central questions is whether gaming platforms with social features will be treated in the same way as conventional social media services.
The answer may depend on how the final legislation defines regulated services, how the rules are implemented and whether particular gaming products qualify for exemptions.
A game that allows players to communicate privately with friends may present different risks from a platform where children can enter public virtual spaces, exchange messages with strangers or publish content for large audiences.
Parents and child-safety advocates have raised concerns about online environments where predators may attempt to build relationships with children under the guise of gaming or friendship.
At the same time, gaming companies and users may be concerned about age-verification requirements, privacy, access restrictions and the potential cost of complying with new rules.
The government will therefore need to strike a balance between protecting children and ensuring that safety measures are proportionate to the risks posed by different services.
Miller has indicated that he is open to changes to the legislation as concerns emerge during consultations and parliamentary debate.
That leaves room for further discussion about whether gaming platforms require more explicit treatment in the bill.
Concerns over enforcement and timing
The proposed legislation also raises questions about how quickly the government can establish the new digital regulator and begin enforcing the rules.
In an interview with The Canadian Press published on October 22, Miller acknowledged concerns about the time needed to establish the regulator but said he wanted the government to move as quickly as possible.
Officials previously indicated that setting up the regulator could take approximately 18 months after the necessary legislative process is completed.
The timeline has prompted concerns among child-safety advocates who argue that young people are already exposed to harmful online material and cannot wait indefinitely for stronger protections.
Miller has also warned that technology companies may attempt to comply with rules only superficially, a problem that regulators in other countries have encountered when introducing online-safety requirements.
Effective enforcement will depend on the regulator’s resources, the clarity of its powers and its ability to assess whether platforms are genuinely reducing risks rather than simply introducing measures that appear to satisfy legal requirements.
Privacy and freedom of expression remain part of the debate
While supporters argue that stronger regulation is necessary to protect children, the legislation also raises questions about privacy and freedom of expression.
Age-verification systems, for example, may require platforms to determine whether users meet specified age requirements. The government will need to ensure that these systems do not collect or retain unnecessary personal information.
The legislation’s proposed safeguards include limits on how information collected for age verification may be used and requirements concerning its protection and destruction.
There are also questions about how harmful content should be defined, how platforms should respond to reports and what safeguards will prevent enforcement decisions from unnecessarily restricting lawful expression.
The Department of Justice’s Charter Statement for Bill C-34 acknowledges that the proposed measures may engage rights protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including freedom of expression, privacy-related interests and equality rights.
The government maintains that child protection is a legitimate objective, but the final framework will need to ensure that restrictions are appropriately designed and legally defensible.
What happens next?
Bill C-34 was at second reading in the House of Commons as of October 21, 2026. It must proceed through the remaining parliamentary stages before it can become law.
The debate over gaming platforms could influence how lawmakers define regulated services, establish exemptions and determine what safety measures companies must implement.
For parents, the central issue is whether the legislation will provide meaningful protection across the digital environments children use every day, rather than focusing narrowly on traditional social media.
For gaming companies, the outcome could determine whether certain products face new age-related requirements, content-moderation obligations or other compliance responsibilities.
For the government, the challenge is to create a framework that protects young people while keeping pace with a rapidly changing digital landscape.
As Parliament continues its examination of the bill, gaming platforms are likely to remain part of the broader debate over how Canada should regulate online services and hold technology companies accountable for the safety of their users.
