GME3: Ad-ditional Guidance Incoming, Big Brother Backs Down & Lego My Phone

In this week’s GME3, a Canadian Senate committee quietly advanced Bill S-211, which would create a national framework to rein in the flood of sports betting ads since legalization. Meanwhile, Ottawa is set to re-table its controversial border-security bill in a trimmed-down form, stripping out the surveillance powers that sank its predecessor. And overseas, Denmark has unveiled a proposal to ban social media for children under 15, joining a growing global push to protect young users from the darker side of digital life. Read the full stories below!

Gambling

Ad-ditional Guidance Incoming

Bill S-211, the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, has advanced another step toward becoming law after the Senate transport and communications committee approved it in a brief, 45-second hearing with no debate. The bill seeks to introduce federal restrictions on sports betting advertising in Canada.

The legislation responds to what its sponsor, Senator Marty Deacon, calls the “pervasive” spread of gambling promotion following the 2021 legalization of single-event sports betting. Its preamble cites research linking increased exposure to gambling ads with higher participation rates, warning of potential public-health consequences.

If enacted, the bill would require the federal cabinet to develop measures to regulate and limit sports-betting advertisements nationwide. It revives a nearly identical proposal that previously cleared the Senate in November 2024 but died when Parliament was prorogued in January.

Senator Deacon has argued that the government failed to anticipate the surge of gambling marketing that followed legalization, saying that Canada is now “gambling with the health and well-being of Canadians.” She urged proactive regulation to avoid “a generation of problem gamblers,” expressing disappointment that few safeguards accompanied the original reforms.

Bill S-211’s quick passage through committee marks growing political momentum around curbing betting ads, a topic that has drawn mounting public concern amid their heavy presence in sports broadcasts and sponsorships since Ontario launched its regulated market in 2022.

Media

Big Brother Backs Down

The federal Liberal government is preparing to introduce a revised version of its border legislation after widespread criticism that the original Strong Borders Act (Bill C-2) went too far in expanding state powers. Sources told CBC News that the new bill, expected to be tabled this week, will retain the core border-security measures from Bill C-2 but remove controversial provisions that drew opposition from civil liberties groups and political parties.

The original bill, introduced in June, granted broad new authorities to law enforcement and government agencies, including powers to open Canada Post mail and access certain digital data. It also sought to tighten refugee claim limits, enhance information-sharing between agencies, and increase measures to combat money laundering. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said at the time that the bill was partly a response to U.S. complaints about lax border enforcement – concerns that once fueled American tariffs and prompted a $1.3-billion Canadian border crackdown.

However, privacy advocates and opposition leaders argued that several provisions had little to do with border control and instead amounted to domestic surveillance tools long sought by police. The Conservatives, NDP, and Bloc Québécois all signalled they would oppose the bill unless it was significantly revised, making its passage unlikely in a minority Parliament.

The government’s forthcoming replacement bill is intended to address those concerns by dropping the most contentious clauses while preserving key enforcement mechanisms. Its reintroduction marks an attempt by Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree to salvage the government’s border-security agenda amid mounting political pressure and calls for his resignation over unrelated remarks about the gun buyback program.

Entertainment

Lego My Phone

Denmark plans to ban social media use for children under 15, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Tuesday, warning that digital platforms are “stealing our children’s childhood.” Speaking at the opening of Parliament, Frederiksen said the proposed law would prohibit social media for those under 15, with parents able to grant limited access beginning at age 13.

Frederiksen argued that while phones were introduced to help children connect safely with friends and family, they have since “let a monster loose,” contributing to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and social isolation. She cited troubling statistics, including that 60% of boys aged 11 to 19 reportedly go an entire week without seeing a single friend in person (though she did not identify the source for that claim). The prime minister also expressed concern about children’s declining attention spans and exposure to inappropriate content online.

The proposal follows Denmark’s recent decision to ban cell phones in primary schools and after-school programs, a recommendation from a government well-being commission established in 2023. Frederiksen framed the new measure as a continuation of those efforts, emphasizing the need to “take better care of our children.”

Denmark joins a growing list of countries tightening controls on youth digital access. Australia implemented a world-first nationwide ban on social media for under-16s in 2024, requiring companies like TikTok and YouTube to block underage users or face multimillion-dollar fines. Norway and France have also begun public consultations on a similar proposal for users under 15, signalling a broader international trend toward restricting children’s exposure to social media’s psychological and developmental risks.