In the wake of revelations that Jesse Van Rootselaar appears to have used ChatGPT to plan the shooting in Tumbler Ridge, the Tumbler Ridge Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Prince George Chamber, has submitted a government policy resolution to the BC Chamber of Commerce, calling for restricting the access of children to social media and AI tools.
The resolution makes six recommendations to the federal and provincial governments:
- Enact legislation prohibiting Canadians under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms and generative AI tools.
- Require technology companies to implement secure, privacy-compliant age verification systems to enforce minimum age requirements.
- Require platforms to report to appropriate Canadian law enforcement authorities any credible threats of violence, criminal activity, exploitation, or other dangerous conduct involving users over the age of 16 when such conduct results in suspension or removal from the platform.
- Establish meaningful and proportionate financial penalties or operational restrictions for companies that fail to comply with age verification and reporting requirements.
- Invest in education programs that support youth, parents, educators, employers and employees in understanding the safe use of online technology.
- Invest in youth mental health programs that supports youth, parents, educators, employers and employees in addressing the personal effects of online harms.
The resolution will be voted on by members of the BC Chamber of Commerce at the annual general meeting in Fort St. John, June 1–3.
If adopted, the resolution will become part of the policies and submissions manual the BC Chamber will present to the provincial government.
“The tragic events in Tumbler Ridge are another reminder that all families, communities, and workplaces are vulnerable to the impacts of online harms,” Tumbler Ridge Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jerrilyn Kirk said. “A growing body of research shows that unregulated access to powerful digital applications by minors contributes to social instability, mental health pressures and public safety risks.”
“Healthy communities are foundational to economic stability and growth,” added Neil Godbout, Executive Director of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce. “Our chamber is proud to partner with our friends in Tumbler Ridge on a policy recommendation that aligns economic strength with community well-being.”
The Tumbler Ridge and Prince George Chambers of Commerce will also be submitting this policy resolution to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce for consideration at its annual general meeting in Victoria at the end of October.
“Small businesses and communities are increasingly managing the economic and social consequences of technology-driven harm caused by the products from large, multi-national companies,” Kirk concluded. “We’re hopeful that our Chambers of Commerce calling for action by senior levels of government will inspire them to act quickly.”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
