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British Columbia’s government has agreed to scrap proposed legislation that would have allowed it to sue social media companies for online harm after Meta, TikTok and others agreed to work with the province to implement voluntary protections.

The social media companies have not agreed to anything other than talks, but Attorney General Niki Sharma credited the proposed legislation with bringing the key players to the state’s door.

“Our bill was able to get the attention of some pretty big companies out there and get them to the table with us, and I’m proud of that,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

The government can bring back the bill, he said, but will first seek remedies through negotiations. “We could be locked in litigation for years, but right now it’s my duty to see if we can come to some kind of improvements,” Ms Sharma said.

Premier David Eby said the deal was hammered out after Meta reached out to the province. A spokesperson for the company could not immediately be reached for comment.

Danielle Morgan, a spokesperson for TikTok, said her company was committed to developing new safeguards. “We look forward to joining Premier Eby and working with industry peers … to discuss best practice towards our common goal of keeping young people safe online.”

The province introduced Bill 12, the Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act, in March with the promise that it would allow the government to recover costs associated with the promotion, marketing and distribution of products that are harmful to adults and children in the province.

But although the bill received the support of researchers who study the impact of certain platforms on mental well-being, particularly among teenagers, the broad scope of the legislation alarmed business leaders who warned that it could be used to target companies far and wide. beyond social media platforms. .

“The net was spread so wide, it could catch almost anything you could imagine,” said Bridgitte Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. He said the provincial government heard the concerns of many different sectors when it withdrew the bill from the legislative agenda this spring. “We are delighted that the government is going to put a stop to this.”

The BC bill was introduced a few weeks after Ottawa introduced Bill C-63 to create a new Online Harm Act, which is supposed to hold technology platforms accountable for the content they host.

Kaitlynn Mendes, professor of sociology at the University of Western Ontario, is an expert on the impact of online harm on youth, including sexual exploitation, self-harm, anxiety and anti-social behaviour.

He said the BC government is optimistic that it can bring the social media giants into line without a legal hurdle.

“I think that’s wishful thinking. Industries do not want to be governed. They would prefer to have codes of conduct but that depends on them being actors of good faith – ultimately, they are going to act in their best interests. I would be skeptical that it’s going to change anything,” he said in an interview.

“I really hope the Canadian government doesn’t try to rely on deals. We need to have structures in place to hold these companies accountable.”

Mr Eby issued a joint statement on Tuesday with representatives from Meta, TikTok, Snap and X, saying they had reached an agreement to work to help young people stay safe online through a new Online Safety Action Table BC.

“Digital platforms are powerful tools, which can connect family members and loved ones and are places where we find like-minded people. Places where community is built and maintained. But the internet is also a place where criminals and scammers are constantly looking for new ways to find and extort potential victims,” the joint statement said.

Mr Eby promoted the attempt to tackle the harm of social media after meeting the grieving parents of Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old boy who killed himself last October after being sexually harassed online.

“Carson was duped by an online predator, sexually harassed and extorted. He took his own life before his parents were aware of what was happening,” the statement continued. “Premier Eby made a promise to Carson’s parents that his government would find ways to make sure Carson leaves a legacy that will help protect other young people.”

The province will delay Bill 12 while the parties meet to discuss how to protect young people from online harm before it happens.

Ms Sharma said there were three areas BC wanted to tackle: online sexual exploitation of youth; increasing mental health problems and anxiety among young people; and online harassment and bullying.

BC’s bill was modeled on its efforts to seek compensation from major tobacco companies for tobacco-related health costs. The province was the first jurisdiction in Canada to launch such a legal case, in 1998, but that case has yet to be resolved – underscoring the lengthy process involved in reaching a decision.

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