BC Greens release plan to regulate artificial intelligence and hold technology companies accountable
The BC Green Party published a platform on October 2 calling for a moratorium on new artificial intelligence data centres in BC and a ban on AI workplace surveillance, among eight specific commitments.
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The BC Green Party published an eight-point platform on artificial intelligence on October 2, 2026, calling for a moratorium on new AI data centres in BC, a ban on AI-powered workplace surveillance, and legislation banning surveillance-based pricing, according to a post on the party's own website.
The announcement came from Emily Lowan, the party's leader and candidate for Saanich North and the Islands. The party says it made the announcement from Lekwungen Territory in Victoria.
The party lists eight commitments in the platform. The BC Green Party says it would halt the construction and operation of new AI data centres in BC pending public-interest reviews and a regulatory framework. The party also says it would work with the federal government to create an independent body for AI safety testing before AI systems are deployed in BC.
On education, the party says it would ban AI tools from K-12 classrooms until the province establishes safety and ethical guidelines. The party does not specify how long such a moratorium would last or who would declare the guidelines sufficient.
Two commitments address how companies use personal data. Under what the party calls "Your Choice, Your Feed", the BC Greens say they would push Ottawa to require social media platforms to give every user an easy way to switch off the system that decides which content to show them. The party also says it would pass legislation within 100 days of forming government to stop retailers from using personal data to show higher prices to specific customers.
The party says AI data centres each consume between 438,000 and 700,800 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, which the party says equals the electricity use of 40,000 to 64,000 Canadian households. These are the party's own figures, and the party has not published a breakdown of how they were calculated.
The BC Green Party says it would also ban AI-powered worker surveillance, require assessments of how automation affects jobs, strengthen BC's privacy laws with mandatory impact assessments, and protect First Nations data rights.
In the announcement, Lowan said: "AI executives themselves have expressed fear at the product they're creating, and we know they won't regulate themselves." Lowan also referenced a shooting incident in Tumbler Ridge and said an AI chatbot had provided instructions relevant to it. The party's page does not include a citation for that claim.
All of the proposals on this page are the BC Green Party's own commitments. The party has not published independent cost estimates or enforcement details for most of them.
Voters can compare party platforms at /bc/provincial-2026/parties. Voting day is October 24, 2026.
Questions this story answers
What does the BC Greens' artificial intelligence platform include?
On October 2, 2026, the BC Green Party published eight commitments on its website. The party says it would halt new AI data centre construction and operation in BC pending public-interest reviews; work with the federal government to create an independent AI safety body; ban AI tools from K-12 classrooms until safety and ethical standards are in place; require social media platforms to let users turn off algorithmic recommendations; ban AI-powered surveillance of workers; strengthen BC privacy laws with mandatory impact assessments; pass legislation within 100 days of forming government to stop retailers from using personal data to raise prices for specific customers; and protect First Nations data rights. These are the party's own commitments and have not been independently verified.
Who announced the BC Greens' artificial intelligence platform?
Emily Lowan, leader of the BC Green Party and the party's candidate for Saanich North and the Islands, published the platform on the party's website on October 2, 2026. The announcement was made from Lekwungen Territory in Victoria.
What did Emily Lowan say about AI and public safety?
In the announcement on the BC Greens' website, Lowan referenced a shooting in Tumbler Ridge and said that an AI chatbot had provided instructions relevant to the incident. Lowan said: 'AI executives themselves have expressed fear at the product they're creating, and we know they won't regulate themselves.' The reference to the Tumbler Ridge case is a claim made by Lowan in the party's own materials; the party page provides no supporting citation for it.
Why does the BC Green Party say it wants a moratorium on AI data centres?
The BC Green Party's website says single AI data centres consume between 438,000 and 700,800 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, which the party says is equivalent to the electricity use of 40,000 to 64,000 Canadian households. These figures appear on the party's own page and the party has not published a breakdown of how they were calculated. The party says it wants a halt on new data centres until public-interest reviews and regulatory frameworks are in place.
What does the BC Greens' algorithm opt-out commitment mean?
Under the commitment the BC Green Party calls 'Your Choice, Your Feed', the party says it would push the federal government to require social media companies to give every user an easy way to turn off the system that decides which content to show them. The party's website says this would give users the ability to see posts in plain chronological order rather than an AI-ranked feed. This is the party's own proposal, and implementing it would require federal action.
What does the BC Greens' surveillance pricing ban cover?
The BC Green Party's platform says it would pass legislation within 100 days of forming government to prohibit retailers from using personal data to raise prices for specific customers. The party uses the term 'surveillance pricing' to describe the practice of showing different prices to different users based on their data profiles. The 100-day timeline and the specifics of the legislation are the party's own commitments and have not been independently costed or reviewed.
What would the BC Greens' K-12 AI moratorium do?
The BC Green Party says it would halt the use of AI tools in K-12 classrooms until the province develops comprehensive safety and ethical guidelines. The party's website does not specify how long such a moratorium would last or who would decide when the guidelines are sufficient to lift it. This is the party's stated commitment and has not been independently assessed.
How does the BC Greens' platform address worker protections and AI?
The BC Green Party's platform says it would ban the use of AI to monitor or surveil workers. The party also says it would require labour market impact assessments that address job displacement caused by automation. Both commitments appear on the party's website published October 2, 2026. The party has not published details on how these requirements would be enforced or what penalties employers would face.
Where can voters compare party platforms on technology policy?
Voters can compare what each party has committed to on technology, artificial intelligence, and other issues at /bc/provincial-2026/parties. The BC Green Party is one of several parties that have released platform commitments ahead of voting day, October 24, 2026. Advance voting opens before that date and details on voting locations are available through Elections BC.
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