B.C. online harms bill on hold after deal with social media firms

The British Columbia government is putting its proposed online harms legislation on hold after reaching an agreement with some of the largest social media platforms to increase safety online.

Premier David Eby says in a joint statement with representatives of the firms Meta, TikTok, X and Snapchat that they will form an online safety action table, where they'll discuss "tangible steps'' toward protecting people from online harms.

Eby added the proposed legislation remains, and the province will reactivate it into law if necessary.

"The agreement that we've struck with these companies is that we're going to move quickly and effectively, and that we need meaningful results before the end of the term of this government, so that if it's necessary for us to bring the bill back then we will," Eby said Tuesday.

The province says the social media companies have agreed to work collaboratively with the province on preventing harm, while Meta will also commit to working with B.C.'s emergency management officials to help amplify official information during natural disasters and other events.

The announcement to put the Bill 12, also known as the Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act, on hold is a sharp turn for the government, after Eby announced in March that social media companies were among the "wrongdoers'' that would pay for health-related costs linked to their platforms.

At the time, Eby compared social media harms to those caused by tobacco and opioids, saying the legislation was similar to previous laws that allowed the province to sue companies selling those products.

Eby said one of the key drivers for legislation targeting online harm was the death of Carson Cleland, the 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide last October after falling victim to online sextortion.

"In the real world we would never allow a company to set up a space for kids where grown adults could be invited in to contact them, encourage them to share photographs and then threaten to distribute those photographs to their family and friends," Eby said when announcing the legislation. 

The premier said previously that companies would be shut down and their owners would face jail terms if their products were connected to harms to young people.

In announcing the pause, the province says that bringing social media companies to the table for discussion achieves the same purpose of protecting youth from online harm.

"Our commitment to every parent is that we will do everything we can to keep their families safe online and in our communities,'' said Eby.

Ryan Cleland, Carson's father, said in a statement on Tuesday that he "has faith" in Eby and the decision to suspend the legislation.

"I don't think he is looking at it from a political standpoint as much as he is looking at it as a dad," he said of Eby. "I think getting the social media giants together to come up with a solution is a step in the right direction."

Business groups were opposed

On Monday, the opposition B.C. United called for a pause to Bill 12, citing potential "serious legal and economic consequences for local businesses."

Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon said in a statement that his party pushed Eby's government to change course, noting the legislation's vague language on who the province can sue "would have had severe unintended consequences" for local businesses and the economy.

"The government's latest retreat is not only a win for the business community but for every British Columbian who values fairness and clarity in the law," Falcon said.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade said they are pleased to see the legislation put on hold, given the "potential ramifications" of the proposal's "expansive interpretation."

"We hope that the government chooses not to pursue Bill 12 in the future," said board president and CEO Bridgitte Anderson in a statement. "Instead, we would welcome the opportunity to work with the government to develop measures that are well-targeted and effective, ensuring they protect British Columbians without causing unintended consequences."