Canada introduces bill to ban social media for under-16s
The Canadian government has introduced a bill in parliament that would ban children under 16 from having social media accounts, with exemptions for platforms that meet safety standards.
The Canadian government introduced digital safety legislation in parliament on Wednesday that would prohibit children under 16 from having social media accounts. Culture Minister Marc Miller stated, "We are failing our children. Enough is enough," emphasizing the need for basic protections.
The bill covers seven categories of harmful content: content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor; content that induces children to harm themselves; content used to bully a child; content that incites violence; content that foments hatred; terrorism or violent extremist content; and non-consensual intimate images.
According to Reuters, citing government officials at a technical briefing, the legislation could take a year to pass. It provides for the creation of a new regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, to enforce the law and ensure compliance. The regulator would also set safety requirements for AI chatbots, including child-focused risk mitigation. Officials said it would take 18 months to set up the digital regulator after the legislation passes.
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of 3% of global revenue or up to 10 million Canadian dollars (about €6.2 million, $7.2 million), whichever is higher.
This move follows Australia's decision in December to become the first nation to ban social media for children under 16. Weeks earlier, families affected by one of the country's worst mass shootings in February filed lawsuits against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, accusing the company of knowing the alleged killer was planning the attack on ChatGPT but not alerting police.
Miller said social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention and do not support healthy childhood development, becoming a source of anxiety, isolation, depression, and other mental health challenges for many young Canadians. "This legislation will provide a safer environment for young Canadians and empower them to connect in-person, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills so they can thrive," he added.
