- Canada introduces Social Media Safety Act in Bill C-34
- It must be approved by the House of Commons and the Senate.
- People under 16 would be banned from social networks
There is a growing realization that social media is not particularly healthy for young children, and a growing number of governments are now taking legislative action in response, with Canada the latest country to ban access to social media platforms for those under 16.
This is being done through the Social Media Safety Act (via Engadget), proposed by Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller. The law describes “increasing risks” for young people that are “real, measurable and increasing” – including negative effects on mental health, cyberbullying and sexual abuse.
The law also notes that AI is driving changes in “how harmful content is created, amplified and experienced online.” The Canadian government says the algorithms and engagement of social media platforms, as well as features like endless scrolling and autoplaying videos, have exacerbated these problems.
Introduced as part of Bill C-34, the legislation is now officially tabled in the Canadian Parliament, although there is still some way to go before it becomes law. It will have to be voted on by the House of Commons and the Senate before being approved by the Governor General, but the process is now well underway.
“We’re failing our children,” Miller told reporters, including the CBC. “Enough is enough. We need basic protections in place so that every child in this country can be safe on the platforms they use every day.” It is planned to create a monitoring commission to guarantee compliance with the ban on access to under 16s.
AI not included
The ban would apply to social media platforms, live streaming services and adult content services. Social media platforms and live streaming services (but not adult content services) will be able to apply for exemptions, if they can demonstrate that “adequate safeguards” have been put in place for young people.
AI chatbots will not be included in the ban, although the bill requires them to take steps to reduce the risk of generating harmful content in response to user prompts. Miller said AI applications represented “an evolving playing field” and that authorities would “keep a close eye” on these services.
Exactly how this ban will be enforced hasn’t been made clear — Miller said there will be “discussions” with social platforms about it — and CBC cites concerns from Michael Geist, Canada research chair at the University of Ottawa, that any type of age verification process would infringe on the privacy rights of all users, not just children.
A similar social media ban for under-16s was implemented in Australia last year, although its effectiveness is debated. Other countries, including the UK, are evaluating their own restrictions, although difficulties in enforcement and verification pose problems regardless of location.
It’s been just over 20 years since Facebook arrived, and social platforms are now facing a real reckoning: Meta and YouTube were found “negligent” by a Los Angeles court in March, while just this week Apple devoted much of its presentation at WWDC 2026 to improving child protection on its devices.
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