Canada introduces legislation to ban social media for under-16s

The Canadian government has introduced legislation in parliament to prohibit children under the age of 16 from holding social media accounts. Culture Minister Marc Miller presented the bill on Wednesday, framing it as a necessary intervention to protect young Canadians from the mental health impacts associated with digital platforms. The legislation seeks to establish a new regulatory body, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, tasked with enforcing compliance and setting safety requirements for artificial intelligence chatbots.

Miller stated that the current digital landscape is failing children, citing anxiety, isolation, and depression as key drivers for the proposed ban. He argued that social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention rather than support healthy childhood development. The government aims to empower young people to connect in person, build real-world skills, and focus on education, asserting that the legislation will provide a safer environment for their growth.

The bill outlines seven categories of harmful content and provides for exemptions for companies that can demonstrate their platforms meet specific safety standards. However, the criteria for these exemptions have not yet been defined and are slated for announcement at a later date. Government officials indicated during a technical briefing that the legislation could take approximately one year to pass through parliament.

Once enacted, the process to establish the Digital Safety Commission of Canada is estimated to take 18 months. The new regulator would be responsible for enforcing the ban and setting safety requirements for AI chatbots, including measures to mitigate risks to children. Non-compliant companies face significant financial penalties, with fines set at up to 3% of global revenue or 10 million Canadian dollars, whichever amount is higher.

The introduction of the bill follows Australia’s decision in December to become the first nation to ban social media for children under 16. The Canadian move also comes amid legal challenges against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Families affected by a mass shooting in February have filed lawsuits accusing the company of failing to warn police about threats made on ChatGPT, although the bill itself sets general safety requirements rather than explicitly mandating changes in response to the litigation.

The legislation reflects a broader shift in governance regarding digital safety, moving beyond voluntary industry standards to enforceable legal frameworks. By targeting both social media access and AI interaction, the Canadian government is attempting to address the structural risks posed by attention-economy technologies. The outcome of the parliamentary process will determine the timeline for implementation and the scope of the new regulatory powers.

As the bill moves through the legislative process, stakeholders will await the detailed criteria for platform exemptions and the operational structure of the Digital Safety Commission. The penalties and enforcement mechanisms outlined in the proposal signal a stringent approach to digital compliance, potentially influencing policy debates in other jurisdictions facing similar challenges with youth mental health and online safety.