AI as a Tool for Protection
While AI poses risks, it’s important to remember that it can also be a powerful ally in keeping children safe. Law enforcement and child protection organizations are using AI to detect and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) quickly.
For example, Project Arachnid[1], run by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, scans the web for known CSAM, helping to reduce exposure to harmful content and catch offenders faster. Additionally, The RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre uses AI to identify and remove illegal material efficiently, ensuring that victims are protected and offenders are held accountable.
These initiatives show that AI isn’t inherently dangerous – used responsibly, it can enhance safety and prevention.
Parental Tools and Safety Features
Many online platforms now offer tools designed to help parents safeguard their children, including age verification to prevent minors from accessing adult content, content filters to block inappropriate material, and parental monitoring tools that provide insight into children’s online activity.
Explore these features together with your child. Establish boundaries for screen time, approved apps, and online interactions. Combining technology with regular conversations about online safety builds trust and helps maintain protective habits.
Privacy and security features should also follow a thorough approach, where children’s information is safeguarded from the start. Encourage your child to understand why these protections matter, so that they can develop digital responsibility.
Legislation and Platform Accountability
Canadian lawmakers are actively introducing measures to hold platforms accountable and enhance child safety online:
- Requiring age verification to prevent children under 18 from accessing online pornography (Bill S-209).[2]
- Making platforms responsible for harmful content and speeding up the reporting of CSAM (Bill C-216).[3]
- Banning deepfake pornography involving minors and ensuring consent for all participants in adult content (Bill C-270).[4]
While these laws are still moving through Parliament, parents can play a role by advocating for stronger protections and staying informed about emerging legislation.
Education and Prevention
Education is one of the most effective tools parents have. Teaching children digital literacy empowers them to recognize inappropriate online interactions, understand consent and privacy, and differentiate between real and AI-generated content.
Programs like Kids in the Know[5], offered by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, provide age-appropriate lessons to help children navigate the online world safely.
Encourage your child to share their online experiences without fear of punishment or shame. Ask open-ended questions like, “Did anything online make you feel uncomfortable today?” This builds awareness, confidence, and the ability to report suspicious activity.
Takeaway for Parents
AI can both endanger and protect children. By using safety tools and parental controls, staying informed about risks and legislation, supporting digital literacy and prevention education, and maintaining open, judgment-free communication with children, parents can create a safer online environment while empowering their kids to navigate the digital world responsibly.
With the right combination of technology, education, and advocacy, AI can become a partner in protection, helping families and law enforcement keep children safe online.
For more information, find additional links below:
Defend Dignity’s Digital handbook: https://defenddignity.ca/learn/#protecting-youth-online
Follow us on Instagram: @defend_dignity
Check out our webinar series: https://defenddignity.ca/digital-dignity-webinar-series/
[1] Canadian Centre for Child Protection, Social Value Report 2022–2023, December 20, 2023, https://content.c3p.ca/pdfs/C3P_SocialValueReport_2022-2023_en.pdf
[2] Senate of Canada, An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to pornographic material, 45th Parliament, 1st session, Bill S-209, first reading on May 28, 2025, https://www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/en/bill/45-1/S-209
[3] House of Commons, An Act to enact the Protection of Minors in the Digital Age Act and to amend two Acts, 45th Parliament, 1st session, Bill C-216, first reading on June 19, 2025, https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/bill/C-216/first-reading.
[4] House of Commons, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (pornographic material), 44th Parliament, 1st session, Bill C-270, first reading on April 28, 2022, https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-270.
[5] Canadian Centre for Child Protection, “Kids in the Know,” https://protectchildren.ca/en/programs-and-initiatives/kids-in-the-know/