N.B. proposes new legislation to protect kids from digital markets

The province has put forward new legislation to protect young people from being misled into online purchases. The proposed legislation would be enforced by New Brunswick's Financial and Consumer Services Commission and aimed at protecting people under the age of 16. Minister Rob McKee announced the act respecting young persons' digital markets and technology. It introduces the Young Consumers and Digital Markets Act. The legislation wouldn't give the Commission powers to moderate or ban content online. But it does allow the Crown Corporation to demand refunds or cancel charges that it deems unfair. There are also other penalties ranging up to $5 million. The legislation covers digital goods, apps, software, music, AI, and platforms like Instagram or TikTok. McKee is confident the commission could enforce new rules. The legislation will apply to any company, whether they have a physical office in Canada or not. If there is a connection to a complainant that is in this province, the act will apply to them. And working with the commission, we are confident that they will be able to investigate and enforce this act appropriately. The commission wouldn't get any new funding to go along with the new responsibilities. The province thinks it would be able to hire staff and do training with the funding it's getting now. They would need to have adequate powers and financial resources to be able to to pursue these companies and so yeah, we'll see if this law is going to make sense in terms of how it's set up and the requirements for people to make complaints. McKee says the legislation would work in tandem with the federal government's proposed social media ban for those under 16. We're looking to complement the federal legislation, and so that's why we are taking a multi-pronged approach with putting our school policies into law, which restrict the use of cell phones and social media on school property, as well as early learning child care centers, and creating this new act to protect young consumers. This announcement follows two similar policies that were introduced in September. AIMED AT RESTRICTING CELL PHONE USE IN CHILDCARE FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS, THIS LEGISLATION WOULD MAKE THOSE CHANGES LAW.