Canada is one of the safest countries for children—until they’re online. In the digital world, children face a growing threat of predators, cyberbullying, and harmful content. Without strong protections in place, every child is vulnerable, regardless of parental efforts to keep them safe. Our partner, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P), has launched the “Safe Spaces” campaign to push for urgent online regulation to protect children, emphasizing the critical need for Canada’s Online Harms Bill (Bill C-63).
In a powerful move, six mothers from across Canada have come forward to share the devastating stories of their children’s online sexual victimization as part of this campaign. These courageous women are speaking out to raise awareness of the dangers children face in digital spaces and to underscore the desperate need for legislation that protects kids online as effectively as we do offline.
The “Safe Spaces” Campaign
Children spend more time online than ever before, whether for learning, socializing, or entertainment. However, without laws like Bill C-63 in place, there are limited safeguards to protect them from harmful experiences. The internet lacks the structured oversight needed to prevent exploitation and abuse, making it a vulnerable space for youth.
The “Safe Spaces” campaign highlights this gap and calls for immediate action. Without regulation, platforms are not held accountable for the harmful content that circulates within them. In fact, every day, the C3P witnesses the devastating effects on children and youth who have been sexually victimized online. The campaign pushes for stronger legislation to ensure that every child, regardless of their background, can safely explore the online world.
Supporting Canada’s Online Harms Bill (Bill C-63)
At the heart of the “Safe Spaces” campaign is the endorsement of Bill C-63, Canada’s Online Harms Bill. This legislation would require online platforms to meet safety standards designed to protect children, ensuring that service providers play a proactive role in shielding vulnerable users from harmful content and exploitation.
In the last year, C3P has seen a staggering 27% increase in reports of online sexual exploitation to Cybertip.ca, Canada’s national tip line for reporting such incidents. This alarming rise in cases reinforces the need for immediate regulatory intervention. Bill C-63 aims to close the gaps in online protection by making platforms accountable for their content and introducing measures such as mandatory reporting of suspicious activity and the swift removal of harmful material.
Why the “Safe Spaces” Campaign Matters
The “Safe Spaces” campaign serves as a critical wake-up call. It stresses that while parents, educators, and guardians are essential in guiding children through the online world, they cannot be the sole line of defense. To truly protect children, we need structural change in the form of robust regulation.
Bill C-63 is a crucial step in addressing this problem, setting forth the rules that will make the internet safer for our most vulnerable users. The legislation will ensure that online platforms and service providers implement safeguards to prevent exploitation, detect harmful behaviours, and take swift action when children are at risk. The stakes are high, and the urgency is real. These legal protections are not just an option; they are an absolute necessity.
How Netsweeper’s Technology Can Help
As online dangers grow, victims of exploitation often feel isolated and unsupported, leading to mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, or even suicide. Netsweeper’s onGuard technology is a vital tool in identifying at-risk individuals by detecting troubling online activity, such as searches related to self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
onGuard helps schools and organizations intervene early, providing timely support and preventing potential tragedies. Combined with our advanced web filtering solutions, which block harmful content in real-time, Netsweeper is dedicated to creating a safer online environment, aligned with the mission of the “Safe Spaces” campaign to protect children from online exploitation.
A Call for Change
At Netsweeper, we are proud to partner with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in their mission to safeguard children online. The “Safe Spaces” campaign and their endorsement of the Online Harms Bill (Bill C-63) represent a critical call to action in the fight to protect children from the growing dangers of the internet.
Canada may be one of the safest places in the world for children, but when they go online, that safety disappears. It’s time for change, and we stand with C3P in pushing for legislation that creates true, protected spaces for children in the digital age. Protecting our youth isn’t just a responsibility—it’s an urgent necessity. Let’s work together to make the internet a safe space for every child.