- Canada introduces The Safe Social Media Act in Bill C-34
- It must be approved by both the House of Commons and the Senate
- Under 16s would be banned from social media platforms
There is a growing recognition that social media is not particularly healthy for younger children, and a growing number of governments are now taking legislative action in response, with Canada being the latest country to move to ban access to social media platforms for under-16s.
This is done via The Safe Social Media Act (via Engadget), put forward by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller. The law describes “growing risks” to young people that are “real, measurable and increasing” – including negative effects on mental health, cyberbullying and sexual abuse.
The law also marks AI as driving changes in “how harmful content is created, amplified and experienced online”. The Canadian government claims that the algorithms and engagement-baiting of social media platforms, along with features such as endless scrolling and auto-playing videos, have exacerbated these problems.
The law, which was introduced under Bill C-34, is now officially tabled in the Canadian Parliament, although there is still some way to go before it is passed. It must be voted in by both the House of Commons and the Senate before it is approved by the Governor-General, but the process is now well under way.
“We’re failing our kids,” 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 platforms they use every day.” The plan is to set up a watchdog commission to ensure that the entry ban for under 16s is maintained.
AI not included
The ban will 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 prove that “adequate safeguards” are 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 harmful content being generated in response to user messages. Miller said AI apps represented “an evolving playing field” and that authorities would “keep a close eye” on these services.
Exactly how this ban will be enforced has not been specified — Miller said there would be “a back and forth” with the social platforms about this — and the CBC cites concerns from Michael Geist, the University of Ottawa’s Canada Research Chair, that any kind of age verification process would infringe on the privacy of all users, not just children.
A similar ban on social media for under-16s was introduced in Australia last year, although there is some debate about how effective it is. Other countries, including the UK, are weighing their own restrictions, although enforcement and verification difficulties are issues regardless of location.
It’s been a little over 20 years since Facebook arrived, and social platforms are now facing a real reckoning: Meta and YouTube were ruled “negligent” by a Los Angeles court back in March, while just this week Apple devoted a large part of its WWDC 2026 presentation to improved child protection on its devices.
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