B.C. premier says Ottawa's online harms bill misses AI chatbot reporting

B.C. Premier David Eby says the federal government’s new online harms bill falls short because it does not require tech companies to report concerning AI chatbot interactions to police. Eby said companies should face a clear legal duty to notify authorities if a chatbot is being used to plan violent crime. He pointed to the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., shooting earlier this year, when OpenAI later said a ChatGPT account had been flagged for problematic activity before the attack but was not reported to Canadian police. The federal bill, introduced as the Safe Social Media Act, would require regulated AI chatbots to reduce the risk of harmful content and respond to users expressing suicide, selfharm, or violent intent. But it stops short of mandatory police reporting, which Culture Minister Marc Miller said the government is still weighing as part of its broader safety approach. The legislation also includes plans to restrict social media accounts for children under 16 unless platforms can show their services are safe. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt supported stronger protections for children, while Eby said he backs the under16 proposal but wants a national reporting standard for chatbot risks.