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Did you miss me? Anne-Marie and I were enjoying some time off in the South of France, but we kept on top of what was happening in our industry. Good thing too — things are heating up.
I'm concentrating on children's issues this week, but it's worth noting there was plenty more going on, including a new and rather sweeping lawful access bill that could, if passed, circumvent privacy protections the Supreme Court of Canada thought were worth constitutional protection. I suggest you sip a "noisette" and enjoy a French baguette as you read what's top of mind today and catch up on the other privacy news in Canada.
As children spend more time online, Canadian lawmakers and privacy officials are stepping up efforts to shield them from digital dangers. Two major recent developments to mention — the Senate's introduction of Bill S-210 and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's 2024-2025 Annual Report — highlight a growing national commitment to protecting young people in the digital age.
Introduced by Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, Bill S-210 aims to prevent minors from accessing online pornography. The bill would require adult websites to implement robust age verification systems to ensure only adults can view sexually explicit content.
The intent is simple: bring the same protections that exist in the physical world, like age restrictions on adult magazines, into the digital space. Miville-Dechêne emphasized that children as young as 9 or 10 are being exposed to explicit content online, which she called a public health issue. The bill passed in the Senate and recently cleared a second reading in the House of Commons, with support from several opposition parties.
However, the bill has sparked a bit of a debate. Some critics argue mandatory age verification could compromise user privacy and freedom of expression. Some worry about the lack of clarity around how age checks would work — whether through digital IDs, facial recognition or third-party services — and how user data would be protected.
Personally, I think these concerns can be worked through. Age-estimation technology has and is evolving very quickly and many developers understand the need to do this ethically, in a pro-privacy way, and in compliance with laws.
Despite the controversy, the bill reflects a growing international trend. Countries like France and the U.K. have already implemented similar laws, and Canada is now following suit.
In parallel, this week the OPC released its annual report, which, among other themes, places a strong focus on children's privacy rights. The report warns that kids are especially vulnerable to data misuse, as they often don't understand how their personal information is collected or shared online.
The OPC is advocating for: Stronger privacy laws that treat children's data with heightened sensitivity; clearer rules for tech companies on how to handle minors' information; and international cooperation to ensure consistent protections across borders.
The OPC also highlighted the risks posed by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, which can collect and analyze vast amounts of personal data, often without users' full awareness or consent.
Together, Bill S-210 and the OPC's report show Canada is taking meaningful steps to protect children online. Whether it's shielding them from harmful content or ensuring their data is handled responsibly, the message is clear: kids deserve a safer, more respectful digital environment.
As these initiatives move forward, they'll need input from parents, educators, tech companies, and privacy experts to strike the right balance between protection and privacy.
Kris Klein, CIPP/C, CIPM, FIP, is the managing director, Canada, for the IAPP.
This article originally appeared in the Canada Dashboard Digest, a free weekly IAPP newsletter. Subscriptions to this and other IAPP newsletters can be found here.