Countdown for Kids Begins: National Coalition Demands Online Safety Act by Year-End to Protect Canada's Children

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - This Thursday, November 20^th, on National Child Day, a powerful coalition of organizations are joining together with parents, children and youth to launch the Countdown for Kids. The 40-day national campaign calls on the Government of Canada to re-table the Online Harms Act before midnight on December 31, 2025, and rename it the Online Safety Act, to reflect its true purpose: protecting children from online exploitation, abuse, and harm.

Coalition of Canada's Top Child Advocates
At 12:00 p.m. ET on November 20^th, a countdown clock will be unveiled in Ottawa, marking the beginning of a powerful national effort championed by organizations including:

• Charities & Nonprofits: Children First Canada, Inspiring Healthy Futures, Future Ready Minds, Child & Youth Advocacy Centres of Canada, Treehouse Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, Amanda Todd Legacy Society, Parachute, Defence for Children International, and End Violence Everywhere (EVE) Initiative
• Hospitals & Health Organizations: Canadian Medical Association, SickKids, CHEO, IWK Health Centre, McMaster Children's Hospital, Holland Bloorview Children's Hospital, CAMH - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Technology Experts: The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, Unplugged Canada, Phone-Free Schools Movement
• Private sector partners, including TELUS, and many others.

This movement is also being driven by parents who have tragically lost their children to online harms, and by children and youth who experience these issues every day, who have been bravely advocating with the government to ensure children's rights to safety, dignity, and protection are upheld.

"We refuse to enter a new year allowing Canadian children to be sacrificed to online harms," said Sara Austin, Founder & CEO of Children First Canada. "This is not a policy debate. It's a national emergency that every Parliamentarian must unite to resolve. Children are dying. Their lives are on the line. We won't carry this legacy of inaction into 2026."

Press Conference Details:
Date/Time: November 20, 9:00 am EST
Location: Room 135-B, West Block, House of Commons
Speakers:

• Andrea Chrysanthou, Chair of Board, Children First Canada
• Dr. Margot Burnell, President, Canadian Medical Association
• Farah Nasser, Journalist, Speaker, and Mother
• Zachary Fathally, 11, CFC's Youth Advisor & Young Canadians' Parliament
• Carol Todd, Founder, Amanda Todd Legacy Society *virtual
• Sara Austin, Founder & CEO, Children First Canada *virtual

Media: Participation in the Q&A portion of this event is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact [email protected] for temporary access.

A Crisis That Cannot Wait!
Online sexual exploitation, harassment and cyberbullying are on the rise in Canada (see below for statistics). In a nation where children as young as 8 are being stalked, groomed, bullied, extorted, or exposed to extreme and harmful content online, the mental health and physical safety of young people are at risk every day. Several young Canadians have already died by suicide in connection with online abuse. Their stories have been shared in public forums, newsrooms, and hearings for years. But urgent calls for action remain unanswered.

"As a parent who has lost a child to online exploitation, I know all too well the devastating pain of such a loss, and it is a feeling that I would not wish on anyone. Sadly, after Amanda's death, there were more tragic stories of child loss due to online harms," says Carol Todd, MSC, Founder of Amanda Todd Legacy Society.  "For years, parents like me have worked endlessly to educate families and raise awareness, but awareness alone won't save lives. We cannot keep placing the burden on families to solve a problem this big. Protecting children online must be a shared responsibility, and that starts with leadership, accountability, and laws that put kids' safety first. It's time for our government and tech companies to step up, take responsibility, and build systems that protect children."

What's Being Demanded
The coalition's Joint Call to Action non-negotiable components that must be included in the Online Safety Act, ensuring the legislation is bold, child-centred, and enforceable, including:

1. The creation of an independent regulator with the authority to enforce platform compliance and fine violations.
2. A legally binding duty of care on digital platforms to prevent and respond to online harms against children.

A Nation-Building Priority
The Countdown for Kids underscores that protecting children online is not optional: it is a foundational act of nation-building. The release emphasizes that Canada already protects children in the physical world through seatbelts, playground standards, and safety laws. It's time for the same level of protection in the digital spaces where children now spend much of their lives.

"Protecting children online isn't a 'nice-to-have.' It's who we choose to be as a country," said Dr. Margot Burnell, President, Canadian Medical Association. "This is how we build a Canada worthy of their future."

In Loving Tribute
The campaign is dedicated to young lives lost or forever altered by online harms, including:

• Amanda Todd, 15
• Rehtaeh Parsons, 17
• Carson Cleland, 12
• Daniel Lints, 17
• Harry Burke, 17

Their lives were full of possibility. Their pain was preventable. We count down these 40 days in their memory, and for all children still at risk.

Organizations and individuals are urged to sign the call to action at: Children First Canada

No more waiting. No more excuses. It's time to protect our kids.

Online sexual exploitation, harassment and cyberbullying are on the rise in Canada:

• In 2023, there were 19,516 police-reported incidents of online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) in Canada, a 59% increase from 2022.
• About 31% of Canadian youth report experiencing cyberbullying.
• In 2022, 71% of young Canadians aged 15 to 24 reported seeing online hate content in the previous year. This is almost double the national average of 49%.
• Most victims of police-reported online sexual offences against children are girls (77% in 2023), and the majority (82%) are youth aged 12 to 17.

SOURCE Children First Canada

For more information or media interviews: Andrea Chrysanthou, APR, Children First Canada, [email protected], 416-797-8194