The government of British Columbia has introduced a bill to recover health-related costs from alleged “wrongdoers,” including social media giants.
Attorney General Niki Sharma introduced the bill on Thursday, saying that if passed, the province would have the opportunity to seek reimbursement through the courts for health-related costs associated with the advertising and distribution of harmful products.
The government said in a statement that the law would give it the opportunity to take action against social media companies over the harm their algorithms cause to people, especially children.
Sharma says the bill is modeled on previous legislation that allows the province to seek reimbursement for health-related tobacco and opioid injuries.
They believe the law would hold companies liable when they harm people, allow the province to recover costs for hospital treatment and doctor visits, and even proactively address the risk of illness or injury.
According to a government report released in 2022, tobacco-related diseases are the leading cause of preventable deaths in British Columbia, killing 6,000 people each year and costing the health care system $2.3 billion annually.
Sharma says in a statement that too many people in BC are living with negative health effects from products they are supposed to trust.
“Once this new law is passed, we will be able to prosecute more wrongdoers, as we have successfully done with tobacco and opioid companies, and keep more people in BC healthy and safe,” she said.
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