Province · Canada
Québec: cyberbullying law for schools
Bottom line for counselors: Schools must have anti-bullying rules, and those rules cover online bullying. There is no takedown regulator, so report harmful posts to the platform. Some online abuse can be a crime under general laws.
Last verified: checked against official sources on 11 November 2026.
Province
Québec
Every school needs an anti-bullying plan; phones banned all day since 2025.
Compare with anywhere elseProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Yes:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Yes. Since 2012 every school must adopt and review an anti-bullying and anti-violence plan.
Legal detail and sources
An Act to prevent and stop bullying and violence in schools (Bill 56), in force 15 June 2012, amended the Education Act and the Act respecting private education.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. The law's definition of bullying includes social media.
- No:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Not yet. A federal bill would create a Digital Safety Commission, but it is still before Parliament. Report harmful posts to the platform and, if it is a crime, to police.
Legal detail and sources
Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, was introduced 10 June 2026. It would enact the Digital Safety Act and create the Digital Safety Commission of Canada to set standards, enforce platform duties and handle complaints. It replaces the earlier Online Harms Act (Bill C-63), which never became law.
- Partly:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No social media ban. Under Quebec privacy law, a parent must consent before a business collects personal information from a child under 14.
Legal detail and sources
Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector, as amended by Law 25.
- Yes:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Phones are banned for the whole school day, including breaks, in public and private schools since September 2025.
Legal detail and sources
- Set nationally:
When is online abuse a crime?
Online bullying can be a federal crime when it becomes harassment, threats or sharing intimate images.
Legal detail and sources
There is no single cyberbullying offence. Criminal Code offences that can apply include criminal harassment (s264), uttering threats (s264.1) and publishing an intimate image without consent (s162.1, added by the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act, in force 10 March 2015). The Protecting Victims Act (2026) extended s162.1 to include sexual deepfakes.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. All school staff are expected to take part in the school's anti-bullying plan.
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