Canada plans to ban social media for users under 16

Canada is moving toward a nationwide ban on social media access for children under the age of 16, according to Reuters.

The proposal is part of a new online safety bill introduced by the federal government. Only platforms that meet strict safety standards would qualify for exemptions. The legislation would also introduce new safeguards for AI-powered chatbots.

To enforce the rules, Canada plans to establish a dedicated digital regulator. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to CAD 10 million or 3% of their global annual revenue, whichever is higher.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller argued that modern recommendation algorithms are designed to capture attention and can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among young people. He said the law would help children focus more on school and real-world social interactions.

The proposal comes shortly after a lawsuit against OpenAI, in which families of victims of a mass shooting alleged that the company failed to act on conversations the attacker reportedly had with ChatGPT while planning the attack.

Canada is not the first country to pursue such restrictions. Australia became the first nation to ban social media for teenagers last December, leading to the deactivation of around five million underage accounts within a month.

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The Canadian bill is expected to take roughly a year to pass. Setting up the regulator and implementing the framework could take an additional 18 months.

Google and Meta said they are reviewing the legislation and are willing to work with policymakers. X and Snapchat did not respond to requests for comment.

Similar measures are currently being considered in France, Denmark, and Poland. Greece has already announced plans to ban social media for children under 15 starting in January 2027.

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Brett Caraway, a professor at the University of Toronto, described Canada's proposal as more comprehensive than many similar efforts abroad. Rather than simply restricting access, he argues, the law aims to reshape the broader digital ecosystem while also addressing the growing role of artificial intelligence.

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