OTTAWA — Culture Minister Marc Miller says while he shares concerns about how long the government’s new digital regulator will take to set up, he’s unable to say exactly when that will happen.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Miller said the government is moving as quickly as possible on digital safety bill C-16, which includes a ban on social media for kids.

Miller spoke at a conference in Montreal today which also heard from Alex Munter, head of the Canadian Medical Association, who said he was concerned about the timeline.

Government officials initially said it would take 18 months to set up the regulator but Munter said it could actually take twice as long.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner told the conference a regulator will take time to establish, and noted her organization faced pushback from Big Tech platforms.

Miller says he’s not “naive” about that possibility but he expects the Canadian regulator to have a healthy back and forth with industry.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press