Bill 137 Original (PDF)
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Bill enacts the Keeping Our Kids Safe Online Act, 2026.
The Act provides that the Minister of Education shall, within 60 days after the Act comes into force, establish an Online Safety Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is given a number of functions related to online safety. They shall submit a report containing their recommendations on online safety issues to the Minister. After receiving the Advisory Committee’s report, the Minister shall inform the Assembly of the measures that the Minister recommends the Government of Ontario implement.
The Education Act is amended to require the Minister to incorporate the curricula developed by the Advisory Committee on online safety when developing the curriculum guidelines under that Act.
Bill 137 2026
An Act to create a committee respecting the online safety of children
His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:
Definition
1. In this Act,
“Minister” means the Minister of Education or such other member of the Executive Council to whom the administration of this Act is assigned under the Executive Council Act.
Online Safety Advisory Committee
2. (1) The Minister shall, no more than 60 days after the day this section comes into force, establish an Online Safety Advisory Committee.
Composition
(2) The Online Safety Advisory Committee shall be composed of members appointed by the Minister.
Same
(3) The Minister shall ensure that the Online Safety Advisory Committee includes members from each of the following groups:
1. Parents.
2. Youths.
3. Education workers.
4. School board members.
5. Social media experts.
Online Safety Advisory Committee — Functions
3. (1) The Online Safety Advisory Committee shall perform the following functions and make relevant recommendations to the Minister:
1. Explore approaches to online safety in other jurisdictions and assess how effective they have been.
2. Develop a plan to ban social media and artificial intelligence chatbots in schools, including,
i. the steps school boards should take to implement the ban, and
ii. any exceptions for accessibility or educational needs.
3. Develop a curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12 respecting digital citizenship and online safety.
4. Develop a curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12 respecting artificial intelligence literacy, which must require instruction on,
i. misinformation and disinformation from artificial intelligence,
ii. the harmful impacts of artificial intelligence on mental health and democracy, and
iii. the environmental harms of artificial intelligence.
5. Develop recommendations on measures to prevent harm to children and youth from social media and artificial intelligence and measures to hold technology and social media companies accountable for those harms, including any harms related to,
i. online gambling,
ii. pornography consumption,
iii. human trafficking and luring,
iv. the mental health impacts of social media and artificial intelligence, and
v. misinformation and disinformation.
6. Develop recommendations to ensure that mental health organizations for children receive sufficient funding and training to ensure there is community capacity to address technology-related addiction and its impacts.
Report
(2) On or before the day that is six months after the day the Online Safety Advisory Committee is established, the Advisory Committee shall report its recommendations to the Minister.
Report to Assembly
(3) On or before the day that is six months after the day the Online Safety Advisory Committee reports its recommendations to the Minister under subsection (2), the Minister shall inform the Assembly of the actions the Minister has taken to implement the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee and any relevant next steps.
Annual report
(4) The Minister shall publish an annual report on a Government of Ontario website describing the progress the Minister has made in implementing the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee and the outcomes of the implementation of these recommendations.
Education Act
4. Section 8 of the Education Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Curriculum requirements
(1.1) The Minister shall incorporate the most recent versions of the following curricula when developing the curriculum guidelines referred to in paragraph 3 of subsection (1):
1. The curriculum respecting digital citizenship and online safety made by the Online Safety Advisory Committee under the Keeping Our Kids Safe Online Act, 2026.
2. The curriculum respecting artificial intelligence literacy made by the Online Safety Advisory Committee under the Keeping Our Kids Safe Online Act, 2026.
Commencement
5. This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
Short title
6. The short title of this Act is the Keeping Our Kids Safe Online Act, 2026.