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B.C. premier says new Instagram limit a 91Ƶminimum91Ƶ in term of protecting kids

Eby says big tech has a responsibility for keeping kids safe when using its products
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The Instagram app is shown on an iPhone in Toronto on Monday, March 19, 2018. Premier David Eby says new account control measures for young Instagram users introduced Tuesday by social media company Meta are the 91Ƶminimum91Ƶ expected of tech companies to keep kids safe online. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Premier David Eby says new account control measures for young Instagram users introduced Tuesday by social media giant Meta are the 91Ƶminimum91Ƶ expected of tech companies to keep kids safe online.

The parent company of Instagram says users in Canada and elsewhere under 18 will have their accounts set to private by default starting Tuesday, restricting who can send messages, among other parental controls and settings.

Speaking at an unrelated event Tuesday, Eby says the province began talks with social media companies after threatening legislation that would put big tech companies on the hook for 91Ƶsignificant potential damages91Ƶ if they were found negligent in failing to keep kids safe from online predators.

Eby says the case of Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old from Prince George, B.C., who took his own life last year after being targeted by a predator on Snapchat, was 91Ƶhorrific and totally preventable.91Ƶ

He says social media apps are 91Ƶnothing special,91Ƶ and should be held to the same child safety standards as anyone who operates a place that invites young people, whether it91Ƶs an amusement park, a playground or an online platform.

In a progress report released Tuesday about the province91Ƶs engagement with big tech companies including Google, Meta, TikTok, Spapchat and X, formerly known as Twitter, the provincial government says the companies are implementing changes, including a 91Ƶtrusted flagger91Ƶ option to quickly remove intimate images.





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