Canada Announces $800,000 for Indigenous-Led Online Safety Project for Youth
The Government of Canada is providing $800,000 over five years to the National Association of Friendship Centres for the BEACON Project, an Indigenous-led initiative aimed at enhancing online safety and preventing child sexual exploitation among Indigenous youth.
On October 15, 2026, in Ottawa, Ontario, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, announced $800,000 in funding over five years for the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC). The investment supports the Bringing Empowerment, Awareness, Culture and Online Navigation (BEACON) Project, an Indigenous-led initiative designed to raise awareness of online child sexual exploitation risks among Indigenous youth and strengthen community-based prevention efforts. 
Friendship Centres across Canada will deliver culturally relevant online safety education through the project, working directly with youth, families, Elders, service providers, and community partners. The initiative will also improve the collection of information on Indigenous youth experiences online to inform future policies and strategies. The federal investment is provided through the Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime (CPCSOC).
This funding aligns with broader national efforts to protect children. Since 2004, Canada's National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet has supported prevention, awareness, law enforcement, victim protection, research, and partnerships. Public Safety Canada leads the National Strategy in partnership with the RCMP, Justice Canada, and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P). Through this strategy, the Government of Canada invests over $27 million per year to combat online child sexual exploitation.
The need for targeted protections is underscored by self-reported data from the 2019 General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (Victimization), which found that about 4 in 10 Indigenous people experienced sexual or physical violence by an adult before the age of 15. 
In addition to the BEACON Project, legislative measures are being advanced to address digital harms. The Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34) proposes a minimum age of 16 for social media accounts, with exemptions possible if adequate safeguards are demonstrated.