Province · Canada
Ontario: 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
Ontario
The Accepting Schools Act requires every board to prevent bullying; phones are put away in class.
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. The Accepting Schools Act (2012) requires every school board to have bullying prevention and intervention plans.
Legal detail and sources
Education Act as amended by the Accepting Schools Act, 2012 (Bill 13), in force 1 September 2012. Policy/Program Memorandum 144 sets out bullying prevention and intervention.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. The Education Act defines cyberbullying as bullying by any electronic means.
Legal detail and sources
Education Act s1(1.0.0.2).
- 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.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
Not yet. The federal Safe Social Media Act would bar under-16s from regulated social media, but it is not law.
Legal detail and sources
Bill C-34 would stop children under 16 from holding accounts on regulated social media services, with possible exemptions for services that show strong child safeguards. Which services are covered would be set later by regulation.
- Yes:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Phones must be silenced and out of sight in class, and social media is blocked on school networks.
Legal detail and sources
Policy/Program Memorandum 128, revised 2024 and in force from 1 September 2024.
- 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. PPM 144 guides how staff prevent and respond to bullying.
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