By Jon Scarr
Two federal lobbying reports published on November 4th show B'nai Brith Canada wants gaming platforms regulated under Bill C-34. The newly released records document communications with Liberal MPs Vince Gasparro on October 30th and Marilyn Gladu on November 3rd.
Bill C-34 is Canada's proposed online safety legislation, which would introduce new protections for children using certain online services. B'nai Brith Canada isn't a gaming industry association. It's a Canadian Jewish human-rights and community organization that campaigns against antisemitism, racism and hatred while providing community support.
The filings use the term "digital gaming platforms." If you're wondering whether that includes online games, chat services or places where people share content, the records don't say. They don't name any specific games or companies, and Bill C-34 doesn't define the term as a separate category. Its proposed under-16 social media account restriction also wouldn't automatically apply to gaming services.
And this isn't a new effort. An amended federal lobbying report for a June 25th communication with Hilary Leftick, chief of staff in Marc Miller's office, also lists the gaming proposal. Another filing records an October 22nd communication with Conservative MP Rachael Thomas.
New Lobbying Reports Identify Two Liberal MPs
Gasparro's October 30th filing focuses solely on bringing digital gaming platforms under Bill C-34. No other lobbying subjects are listed.
Gladu's November 3rd filing is broader. Alongside the gaming proposal, it lists security for Jewish institutions and foreign-affairs issues involving education and Canadian funds. It doesn't tell us which subjects came up during the conversation.
The reports name B'nai Brith Canada CEO Simon Wolle as the officer responsible for filing them. That doesn't confirm he personally took part in either communication.
B'nai Brith Canada's Earlier Lobbying Efforts
The federal government introduced Bill C-34 on June 10th. A lobbying report covering a June 25th communication with Hilary Leftick, chief of staff in Marc Miller's office, includes gaming-platform regulation among its subjects. The report was amended on July 15th to correct a missing detail, but the registry doesn't identify what changed.
A separate October 22nd filing identifies Conservative MP Rachael Thomas. Along with the gaming proposal, it lists a request for a coordinated national youth digital literacy program focused on online harms.
Those records tell us which officials were named and what B'nai Brith Canada registered as its lobbying objectives. They don't identify which of its representatives took part, what was said or whether the MPs supported the request.
Gaming Platforms and Bill C-34
Bill C-34, known as the Safe Social Media Act, would create a Digital Safety Commission of Canada and establish duties for certain online services. Section 5 sets out how the federal government could add new categories of online services. The proposed Digital Safety Commission would first assess the risks to children before the government could add a category through regulations. Gaming platforms haven't been added.
If the games or online services you use were eventually covered, their operators would have to meet the bill's child-protection requirements. Those include safety features specified through regulations and records showing compliance. The filings don't say which safeguards B'nai Brith Canada wants gaming services to adopt.
This follows our earlier reporting on the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC). A May 5th lobbying record involving ESAC and Marc Miller's office listed player safety among several subjects. That record didn't establish that Bill C-34 was discussed or whether ESAC supports bringing gaming platforms under the bill.
Bill C-34 completed second reading on October 29th and was referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. As of November 4th, Parliament lists no committee activity on the bill. For now, nothing has changed for Canadian gamers. B'nai Brith Canada wants gaming platforms included, but that hasn't happened.
Jon Scarr
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