Statement on Bill C-34

The Safe Social Media Act aims to tackle a critical issue impacting the well-being of children and youth—safer online spaces.

Inspiring Healthy Futures believes every child in Canada deserves an environment that supports their well-being, resilience, and opportunity to thrive. Digital spaces should be part of that environment, not a threat to it. Today's introduction of social media legislation, with an independent regulator as the foundation, signals that the Government of Canada is prepared to hold digital platforms accountable for the role they play in the lives of children and youth. We welcome this step.

The case for action is clear, and the moment is long overdue. Across our network of champions spanning health, education, social services, research, and policy, we see what harmful digital environments do to the children and families our communities serve.

We thank the government for making this a priority, and we look forward to contributing the cross-sectoral perspectives of the Inspiring Healthy Futures network through the parliamentary committee process to help shape strong, evidence-grounded legislation that puts the well-being and perspectives of children, youth, and families first.