With online safety legislation for kids, protection requires more than prohibition

Restricting access to major platforms for younger teens will not remove the social needs those platforms currently serve. It will simply relocate them.

Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller recently announced the government is reconvening an expert advisory group on online safety to help the government update its online harms approach. If Canada gets this policy wrong, the problem will not disappear, writes Harshi Sritharan.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY HARSHI SRITHARAN

March 18, 2026

Ottawa is debating stronger measures to protect children online through its proposed online harms legislation. The concern is real. Young Canadians are exposed daily to bullying, harmful content, and relentless social comparison online.

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