CanadaAI regulation

Regulation Status

• Canada does not have comprehensive AI-specific legislation in force at the federal level. The proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) was terminated in January 2025 and is not currently law. The government is pursuing new approaches, including the “AI for All” strategy and the proposed Safe Social Media Act, but has not reintroduced the previous bill wholesale.
• AI governance is currently addressed through a patchwork of voluntary codes, sector-specific standards, regulatory guidance, and enforcement under existing laws, including privacy, competition, and accessibility frameworks. Notable instruments include the Directive on Automated Decision-Making for federal agencies, voluntary codes of conduct for generative AI, and accessibility standards for AI systems. Canada has established the Canadian AI Safety Institute, appointed a federal AI minister, and launched the 2026 “AI for All” national AI strategy. Key regulatory focus areas include data privacy, copyright, competition, accessibility, online safety, deepfakes, and public sector use of AI.
• Existing privacy law is being applied to AI systems. In June 2026, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada found that X Corp. and xAI violated PIPEDA by launching Grok’s AI image-generation tool without adequate safeguards, enabling non-consensual sexualized deepfakes, and called for stronger federal legislation and enforcement powers.