Canada: Issued Report on Oversight of Social Media Platforms: Ensuring Privacy and Safety Online

On December 9, 2024, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics issued a report titled "Oversight of Social Media Platforms: Ensuring Privacy and Safety Online," examining social media platforms' practices related to data harvesting, privacy, safety, and potential misuse of personal information, especially involving minors, on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Google, analysing their policies and practices concerning privacy, data security, and countering harmful content. Key recommendations include revising government digital standards for the use of social media apps and adopting a European Union-style code of practice on disinformation. Furthermore, the report proposes amendments to PIPEDA to strengthen data minimisation and cross-border data transfer regulations, and establishing explicit rights for minors, such as data deletion and consent mechanisms.