# AI minister affirms Canada will have tech super-regulator “with teeth”

> Source: <https://betakit.com/ai-minister-affirms-canada-will-have-tech-super-regulator-with-teeth/>
> Published: 2026-09-16 21:10:36+00:00

Amid global concerns over AI safety, Canada’s AI minister reaffirmed that the country’s proposed “super-regulator” for digital technology will have the power to hold companies accountable to the sum of billions.

**The news:** AI and digital innovation minister Evan Solomon made the remarks on Wednesday morning at the ALL IN AI conference in Montréal. Alongside promises of a robust regulator, Solomon teased that the federal government will reveal which organization will  build Canada’s [public AI supercomputer](https://betakit.com/canada-opens-applications-to-build-a-public-ai-supercomputer/) “early this fall.” 

**From the source:** “We are setting up to do all this—a regulator with teeth—for the first time in Canadian history,” Solomon said. “Not just a regulator that can name and shame, but that can hold these big tech companies to account if they are abusive, with billions of dollars in fines.”

**The context:** As part of a long-awaited [update to Canada’s privacy law](https://betakit.com/with-update-to-canadas-privacy-laws-feds-are-building-a-super-regulator/), Solomon proposed the creation of a regulator known as the Canadian Digital Safety Commission. It would have a broad mandate, including oversight of privacy issues in the private sector and the implementation of the new [Safe Social Media Act](https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/safe-social-media-act.html). 

If that bill becomes law, the new regulator would be able to issue binding orders and monetary penalties of up to $10 million, or three percent of global revenue, which is a departure from the powers of Canada’s [existing](https://betakit.com/elon-musks-x-violated-canadian-privacy-law-with-grok-deepfakes-watchdog-finds/) [p](https://betakit.com/elon-musks-x-violated-canadian-privacy-law-with-grok-deepfakes-watchdog-finds/)[rivacy regulator](https://betakit.com/elon-musks-x-violated-canadian-privacy-law-with-grok-deepfakes-watchdog-finds/). 

**Final thought:** While this “super-regulator” could hold US AI developers accountable in the digital sphere, it’s less clear how Canada will deal with the associated AI buildout. Earlier this month, the Canadian government released a basic [data centre framework](https://betakit.com/openai-anthropic-sign-on-to-canadas-new-data-centre-framework-as-public-opinion-sours-on-buildout/) which asks, but doesn’t mandate, companies to follow responsible development guidelines. For data centres, he said that provincial regulators can create rules with “more legislative teeth.”

*Feature image courtesy Evan Solomon via [X](https://x.com/EvanLSolomon/status/2100275285404836253?s=20).*