Federal government proposes sweeping digital regulator with powers to fine up to $25 million
Ottawa is creating a new Digital Safety and Data Protection Commission that would oversee both online safety and privacy. Some experts call it a 'super-regulator.'
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The federal government is creating a new Digital Safety and Data Protection Commission of Canada to enforce both online safety and privacy rules, consolidating oversight now split between multiple bodies.
The commission will have five cabinet-appointed members and authority to issue binding orders to organizations. For standard violations, fines can reach $10 million or 3 percent of an organization's gross global revenue. For serious offences such as obstruction of the commission's work, fines can go up to $25 million or 5 percent of global revenue.
The framework stems from two bills introduced in June: Bill C-34, which would require social media platforms to block access for users under 16 and regulate AI chatbots; and Bill C-36, which sets higher standards for managing children's data and gives Canadians the right to request deletion of their information.
University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist has called the commission a "digital super-regulator," citing its dual responsibility for both content moderation across major platforms and privacy oversight across all Canadian organizations. Heidi Tworek, a professor of history and public policy at the University of British Columbia, noted that Canada is taking an unusual approach by combining both functions into one body — most democracies separate privacy and online safety regulators.
Government officials estimate the new regulator will take about 18 months to establish.
