Summary#
Bill 66, the Kids’ Online Safety and Privacy Month Act, 2025, creates a new Ontario law; it does not amend another Act. It proclaims October each year as Kids’ Online Safety and Privacy Month. Its stated goal is to raise awareness of children’s online safety and privacy, not to create new safety rules or services.
- October is designated as Kids’ Online Safety and Privacy Month every year.
- The Act does not assign an organization to run events or require anyone to take part.
- The preamble highlights education, parental supervision and children’s awareness, but these are not legal duties created by the Act.
- The Act came into force when it received Royal Assent.
What it means for you#
- General public: October has an official designation focused on children’s online safety and privacy. The Act does not require public events or activities.
- Parents, schools and educators: The preamble emphasizes their possible roles, but the Act does not require them to provide training, supervise children in a particular way or change school programs.
- Children and online services: The Act does not create new online protections, privacy rights, restrictions on services or enforcement powers.
Money#
No cost information is in the available material.
- The Act does not authorize spending, require staffing or set out a funded program.
- It does not set fees, fines or other payments.
What is unclear#
- The Act does not say who, if anyone, will organize activities for the month.
- It does not specify whether the government will fund or promote education or awareness activities.
- It sets no targets or reporting requirements to measure whether awareness increases.
- The preamble mentions online risks, but the Act does not define them or set rules for addressing them.
Case for#
- A possible argument for the bill is that a recurring month can draw attention to online safety and privacy for children.
- The preamble identifies risks such as cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation and trafficking, and points to education as one way to help children and parents understand those risks.
- An annual designation gives schools, families and the wider community an occasion to discuss the issue, without requiring a particular approach.
Case against#
- The designation does not itself create new protections or require education, supervision or other action.
- The Act provides no funding, organizer, activities or measures of success, so it is unclear what practical change the designation will bring.
- A possible trade-off is that the Act names serious risks but does not set out measures to prevent or respond to them.