Discussion · Government Orders
Elizabeth May Green
“I do not support this bill. Social media companies design addictive products that harm children and seniors. This bill has weak penalties that will not force these companies to keep kids safe. The law should allow us to shut them down if they harm our children.”
“Madam Speaker, I want to get back to the point I was making to the member for University—Rosedale. I do not think we disagree in this place that the companies that are producing the hazardous product of so-called online services on what they call platforms are way smarter than any bureaucrat and way smarter than anyone drafting this legislation. This is their playground. They know what they are doing with algorithms. They know how they are making addictive content to keep people scrolling, whether it is seniors or children. How do we create a maximum incentive for the producer of the hazardous product to keep our children safe? This bill would not do that. This bill says the penalty is to encourage compliance with this vague law. It does not say we can drive them out of business if they harm our children.”
Madam Speaker, I want to get back to the point I was making to the member for University—Rosedale. I do not think we disagree in this place that the companies that are producing the hazardous product of so-called online services on what they call platforms are way smarter than any bureaucrat and way smarter than anyone drafting this legislation. This is their playground. They know what they are doing with algorithms. They know how they are making addictive content to keep people scrolling, whether it is seniors or children. How do we create a maximum incentive for the producer of the hazardous product to keep our children safe? This bill would not do that. This bill says the penalty is to encourage compliance with this vague law. It does not say we can drive them out of business if they harm our children.