Canada proposes social media ban for children under 16

Canada has introduced legislation that would bar children under 16 from social media while allowing platforms to avoid the ban if they meet government safety standards, joining a growing group of countries moving to restrict young people’s access to online platforms.

The bill, introduced in the House of Commons on Wednesday by Culture Minister Marc Miller, would also regulate AI chatbots and create a new digital safety regulator to set and enforce standards for social media and artificial intelligence services. The BBC identified the proposal as the Safe Social Media Act, while Al Jazeera described it as the Digital Safety Act; both reported it as Bill C-34.

Miller said the government is acting because of the harms children face online. “We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have. The safety of children cannot be an afterthought,” he said in a statement reported by Al Jazeera. Earlier in the week, he told reporters that passing online harms legislation was a priority because “kids are dying.”

“Suffice to say, we will take all reasonable measures to make sure kids are safe in this country,” Miller said.

Under the proposal, social media companies and AI chatbot services would have to identify risks of harm, adopt measures to address certain risks, implement safety-focused and age-appropriate design features, and provide user tools such as blocking and flagging. Al Jazeera, citing local media reports, said the bill would also require platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 24 hours of being flagged.

The bill lists seven categories of “harmful content,” according to the BBC, including material that bullies a child, foments hatred or incites violence. The BBC said it sought clarification from Canada’s justice and culture ministries on the criteria but did not receive a reply.

Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to C$10 million, or 3% of gross global revenue, whichever is greater. The proposed regulator would be the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, whose members would be appointed by the cabinet, according to briefing documents cited by the BBC. Al Jazeera reported that government officials said it could take a year for the bill to pass and 18 months to establish the regulator after that.

The legislation comes as Canada faces renewed pressure to address online safety following a deadly February mass school shooting in British Columbia. The BBC reported that the 18-year-old suspect had used ChatGPT to discuss gun violence months before the attack, in which eight people, including six young children, were killed. OpenAI later faced criticism for not reporting the account to police, and CEO Sam Altman sent a written apology to victims’ families, the BBC reported. Al Jazeera reported that families affected by the shooting sued OpenAI, alleging the company knew the killer was planning the attack after banning the user from its platform in June last year over troubling ChatGPT conversations but did not warn police.

Miller said social media platforms and AI chatbots “are designed to capture attention” and “have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians.”

Canada’s proposal differs from Australia’s under-16 social media ban, passed in December, because Canadian platforms could receive exemptions if they demonstrate safety policies that minimize harm to minors. Sara Austin of Children First Canada said that exemption could encourage companies to improve protections. The approach “will not only benefit children, but will also benefit all Canadians” using the platforms, she told the BBC.

Free speech groups have warned that the Canadian bill could expand censorship, while some argue online harms should be addressed through existing criminal law. The debate comes ahead of next week’s G7 summit in France, where leaders are expected to discuss AI and online child safety.