Canada Summons OpenAI Safety Team for Urgent Talks After Banned Account Case

OTTAWA, Feb. 23 (GeokHub) — The Canadian government has summoned senior officials from OpenAI to explain its safety protocols after the company confirmed it did not alert police about a user account it had previously banned for policy violations.

The case centers on 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who carried out a deadly attack on February 10 in the small town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, before later taking their own life. Authorities said eight people were killed in the incident.

OpenAI stated that it banned the individual’s account on its chatbot, ChatGPT, in June 2025 after internal systems flagged potential misuse related to violent activity. The company said the case was reviewed but did not meet its internal threshold for reporting to law enforcement because it was not assessed as posing an “imminent and credible risk of serious physical harm.”

Government Seeks Clarification on Reporting Thresholds

Canada’s Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said senior members of OpenAI’s safety team will travel from the United States to Ottawa on Tuesday to explain how the company determines when to escalate user activity to police.

“We need an explanation of their safety protocols, when they escalate, and what their threshold is for contacting law enforcement,” Solomon told reporters.

The case has intensified scrutiny of the responsibilities technology companies hold when potentially threatening online behavior is detected.

Solomon said “all options are on the table” regarding further action, pointing to forthcoming legislation on online privacy and data protection. He did not provide additional specifics but emphasized that Canadians expect technology firms to act responsibly, particularly in protecting children and vulnerable users.

OpenAI Response and Police Confirmation

OpenAI said it contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) after the February 10 incident to provide information related to the user’s activity on ChatGPT.

RCMP Staff Sergeant Kris Clark confirmed that OpenAI reached out following the shooting but declined to share further details.

The company did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment regarding the Ottawa meeting.