Online harms now top threat to Canadian children, new report says

The report says kids are coming into contact with AI toys and algorithmic-driven content before they even learn to read. It cites multiple risks related to the online environment, including cyberbullying, child luring, sexual extortion, AI-facilitated abuse and mental health impacts.

Last year’s shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. — which has led to dozens of lawsuits focused on the shooter’s use of ChatGPT — was a defining moment for the debate around online safety in Canada, the report says.

It notes that over the past decade, police-reported incidents of online child sexual abuse have increased by more than 300 per cent.

“Meanwhile, the emergence of violent online networks such as 764 has prompted law enforcement agencies to warn that Canadian children are being actively targeted through gaming platforms, social media, and messaging apps,” the report says.

The federal government added 764 to its list of terror entities in December 2025. It described the group as a “decentralized transnational network of online nihilistic violent extremists.”

It said members of the group use social media and gaming platforms “to lure, groom, and extort youth to commit violent and sexual acts, including self-harm.”

The report argues Canada has regulations and safety standards in place for other children’s products, including food, medicine, pyjamas and toys — and that tech companies should not enjoy an exception.

Children First Canada is calling on the federal government to strengthen and pass the digital safety bill it introduced earlier this year. Bill C-34 would force social media platforms to at least temporarily block access for kids under 16 and regulate the companies behind AI chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act responsibly, among other measures.

“We’re very glad to see that it goes beyond social media to include AI chatbots, but we know that kids don’t just exist in these two platforms,” Austin said.

She said the group also would like to see the bill address gaming and live streaming platforms, as well as messaging apps.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Online harms now top threat to Canadian children, new report says

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