The province wants to limit children’s access to harmful content online

The Ford government plans to introduce legislation to protect children’s privacy while limiting access to potentially harmful online content.

The province says the regulatory changes would ensure protections to better safeguard children’s information from theft or misuse due to cyber incidents.

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province plans to consult with experts in social media and the tech industry, such as X and Snapchat, for help in fighting cybercrime and cyberbullying, trafficking and online victimization.

“We will bring in experts from the tech industry and social media to discuss how they can further reduce risks, focusing specifically on cyberbullying, access to age-appropriate content, and combating risks to children while online “Lecce said in a statement.

Additional regulations at the provincial level could include “age-appropriate standards” for software programs on devices used in school, such as laptops.

The government announcement comes a day after The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced the arrest of 64 people related to a multi-jurisdictional investigation into child sexual exploitation. Investigations took place over 10 days in February and led to the arrest of dozens of suspects accused of making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

Mobile phone ban takes shape next school year

Last month, Lecce and the province announced new measures to limit mobile phone use in schools and ban vaping starting in 2024-25. Starting this fall, some social media sites will also be banned from school Wi-Fi networks.

---

Students in kindergarten through sixth grade will be required to keep phones on silent and out of sight throughout the school day unless explicitly permitted by an educator, while students in seventh through twelfth grade will have cell phones prohibited during school. class schedule.

“After removing social media from school networks and devices, restricting cell phone use in class, and banning vaping, our government is taking additional steps to further protect our children while they are online,” Lecce said.

The province said work is also underway to strengthen safeguards to ensure artificial intelligence is used responsibly in the public sector, including schools.

Todd McCarthy, Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, said the rapidly evolving online world offers opportunities for children’s education and growth, but cited personal information privacy risks.

“Our government wants our children to have a healthy, safe and age-appropriate digital experience when interacting with public sector organizations, such as schools, and that is why we safeguard their best interests by implementing barriers to better protect them.”