Miller, Solomon talk online harms, chatbot regulation with youth leaders

No regulation without consultation. That was the message a group of young people delivered to two senior cabinet ministers leading the government’s approach to digital policy during a forum on April 30. The participants, ranging from high school students to recent post-secondary graduates, contributed to a project called Gen(Z)AI that conducted consultation sessions with adolescents across the country over the past year to explore how young people’s perspectives can help shape government policy on artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and privacy. The initiative culminated with an event held on Parliament Hill, attended by a slew of ministers and MPs, featuring youth leaders from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax who travelled to the nation’s capital to present their recommendations. Among other things, the final report called for limits on addictive measures in AI chatbots, mandated labels for AI-generated content, and an age verification system to restrict young peoples’ access to AI platforms. But, more than anything, the group’s core message was clear — any decision affecting young people needs to allow for input from young people. During a mid-morning panel discussion, AI Minister Evan Solomon (Toronto Centre, Ont.) and Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.) sought to assure participants that their voices were being heard. “What I read is you often feel there’s decisions being made about you, without you,” Solomon told the crowd at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building. “And that sucks.” “It is essential that, in terms of any form of regulation on technology, that we hear how it affects young people so we don’t make mistakes.” Solomon said he read the report and that it would not go “in the shredder,” but emphasized that many ongoing debates surrounding digital policy are complex, requiring the government to consider a variety of different viewpoints. As an example, he referenced the public discourse surrounding a potential ban or age restrictions on social media usage — which was not among the youth group’s recommendations — to illustrate how lived experiences can vary greatly depending on a person’s individual circumstances. “In my community and in my family, we have members of the 2SLGBTQ community the physical environment has been very bullying,” said Solomon. “There are people in these communities where school or their home life is dangerous, and they find hope and safety online.” “And we’re going to ban access to social media and alienate some communities? That is the place where they have found validation and information, you don’t think about that until you talk to those communities, and we have to do the same with you.” Neither minister committed to enacting any of the group’s recommendations, though Solomon said many “aligned” with the government’s thought process. However, the lack of clarity provoked concerns amongst certain attendees that the government’s appearance at the event was “tokenistic” and more about making a political appearance, rather than representing an open-minded approach to policymaking. “I understand that legislation is a slow process and I’m glad that people care about this and there’s some attention,” said Liam, a university student from Montreal. “But it’s hard to say.” Meanwhile, Ella, a 22-year-old from Gatineau, said she was “a little skeptical” about the ministers' comments, considering the lack of policy response from Ottawa. “I’m really hoping they will actually hear out or even cherry pick what they think is relevant because then our work will have mattered,” she told The Wire Report. It should be noted that Miller acknowledged the government’s inaction on this file, adding that he is “not making excuses, but it’s just a fact.” “It is time for the government to act,” said Miller, who spoke at length about how his office is approaching chatbot regulation following reports of the technology’s impact on the recent Tumbler Ridge shooting in B.C. The government has not yet stated whether chatbots will be scoped-in to the forthcoming online harms legislation. “We’ve seen the harm that chatbots can generate,” said Miller. “It’s getting better, but it’s still very much the wild west out there.” “I think the discussion always has to be framed in the context of what the legislative provision is intended to do and what the objective is. If the objective is to keep kids safe, then chatbots need to be encompassed.” Among those in attendance for various portions of the event were Liberal MPs Fares Al Soud (Mississauga Centre, Ont.), Karim Bardeesy (Taiaiko'n—Parkdale—High Park, Ont.), Juanita Nathan (Pickering—Brooklin, Ont.), Tatiana Auguste (Terrebonne, Que.), as well as Green Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, B.C.) and Bloc Québécois MP Andréanne Larouche (Shefford, Que.). dlegree@thewirereport.ca

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Miller, Solomon talk online harms, chatbot regulation with youth leaders

Regulatory | By Davis Legree |May 1, 2026

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By Davis Legree
|May 1, 2026