MONTREAL: The government of Canada has introduced a new digital safety bill that would ban social media for children under 16, with exemptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards.
The bill, which was introduced in the country’s parliament on Wednesday, gives exemptions to companies that can prove their platforms meet certain safety standards.
The criteria for what the exemptions entail is slated to be announced at a later date.
“We are failing our children. Enough is enough,” Canada’s culture minister, Marc Miller, said.
“We need basic protection in place,” he added.
Under the legislation, social media companies would be prohibited from allowing users under 16 to hold accounts unless they can demonstrate sufficient safeguards to protect children.
The law would also require platforms, including adult-content services, to reduce users’ exposure to harmful content and clearly label AI-generated material.
Australia became the world’s first country in December to ban social media for children under 16. A month after its law was introduced, social media companies collectively deactivated the accounts of nearly 5 million teenagers. Government officials in a technical briefing said it could take a year for the bill to pass, and 18 months to set up the digital regulator once it does.
Denmark, France, and Poland are also considering tightening rules around social media use for children, while Greece in April announced it would ban access to young people under 15 from January 2027.
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