Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsCanadaCanadian PoliticsCarney government hands new privacy provisions to yet-to-be-established digital regulatorThe creation of a new regulator was first announced last week, with the tabling of the Safe Social Media ActLast updated 24 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa June 15, 2026. Photo by Blair Gable /PostmediaOTTAWA — The federal Liberal government will be handing responsibilities for enforcing new privacy provisions to the recently announced digital regulator that will steer the government’s online safety regime.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArtificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said that for years the government has faced calls about the need for a standalone tech regulator that would come equipped with stronger enforcement powers to levy penalties and enhance Canadians’ safety online.“We believe that it’s very important to set up a robust commission that has those enforcement powers and that’s what we’re doing, in as quick a manner as possible,” he told reporters on Monday.“We think Canada needs that kind of independent regulator.”The creation of a new regulator was announced last week, when Heritage Minister Marc Miller tabled the Safe Social Media Act, which proposes requiring social media platforms and companies operating AI chatbots to take additional steps to reduce users’ exposure to different types of harms and adhere to a social media ban for children under 16 unless an exemption has been granted.Solomon tabled the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act on Monday, the most significant overhaul of Canada’s privacy regime in more than two decades, which will be implemented by the same regulator and will be built with specific privacy expertise.“They were written before the iPhone,” he said of the existing rules.Senior government officials, who briefed reporters on a not-for-attribution basis, described a significant overlap between privacy issues and tech regulation, which is why the new digital regulator would assume responsibility for both.One official used children’s data as an example, given that it touches on both privacy rights and the use of age-appropriate design principles by platforms that would limit the collection of such information and its intended use.Solomon and officials confirmed that the Privacy Commissioner of Canada would focus its efforts on how the federal government handles private information. The bill tabled on Monday seeks to hand over the power to investigate and enforce privacy rules within the private sector to the new regulator, dubbed the Digital Safety and Data Protection Commission of Canada.Last week, government officials told reporters that it was expected to take upward of 18 months for the new regulator to be fully operational. The government, however, retains the ability to put new provisions into force before it is completely up and running.Monday’s privacy bill specifically targets the handling of children’s information, proposing that such material be considered “sensitive,” as well as surveillance pricing. It also makes it a rule that companies use plain language when it comes to obtaining an individual’s consent for using their information.When it comes to surveillance pricing, Solomon described the legislation as a “principle-based bill” that grants the proposed regulator the power to define rules around the practice, “if the harms outweigh the benefits.”He said he would be seeking advice from that regulatory body on what those rules ought to be. The minister explained why his government was not moving ahead with an outright ban on the practice of surveillance pricing by pointing to the fact that many Canadians use reward points to purchase food and other products at a lower cost.The Chamber of Progress, a tech industry group, welcomed that balance.“I think Canadians will welcome a new privacy right, but the real test is whether this bill protects people’s data without making digital services less useful,” Josh Tabish, senior director for Canada, said in a statement. Solomon also highlighted that the legislation proposes giving Canadians the ability to request that a company delete their personal information, including AI and other electronically generated “deepfakes,” made in an individual’s likeness.The legislation does not propose specific timelines for when personal information would have to be removed, but does allow organizations to make a case for why a request ought to be refused.The tabling of the Liberals’ new privacy bill comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney and Solomon recently announced the government’s strategy for AI, which emphasized the importance of safety, while also touting an approach that encouraged more mass adoption, viewing it as an opportunity to create thousands of more jobs and promising to offer AI literacy to Canadians.National PostOur website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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