Scoping AI Chatbots into a revised Online Harms Act: The Case for Immediate Action
February 24, 2026 - Months before Jesse Van Rootselaar was identified as the mass shooting suspect in Tumbler Ridge, a rural community in British Columbia, her interactions with OpenAI’s ChatGPT raised internal concerns. The company said it considered notifying law enforcement but ultimately determined the case did not meet the higher threshold required to make a referral. This evidently raises many questions related to digital governance, data privacy and reporting mechanisms.
In response to this news, the Centre’s Founding Director, Taylor Owen, and Helen Hayes, Associate Director of Policy, are calling for immediate action to scope AI chatbots into a revised Online Harms Act. You can read the memo they sent to the Hon. Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and the Hon. Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture below.
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