Canada has unveiled sweeping legislation that would prohibit children and teenagers under 16 from using social media, echoing measures recently adopted in Australia.
The proposed “Safe Social Media Act” would allow exemptions for platforms that can prove they have strong safeguards in place to reduce harm to minors, BBC reports.
Under the bill, companies demonstrating effective systems to protect young users could bypass the restriction.
The legislation also seeks to regulate AI chatbots, curb harmful online content, and establish a new independent watchdog, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, to oversee compliance.
Members of the commission would be appointed by the federal cabinet, according to briefing papers. Culture Minister Marc Miller has argued that urgent action is needed to confront online risks facing children, stressing that “kids are dying” as he underscored the priority of tackling digital harms.
The bill defines harmful content broadly, including bullying, hate speech, and incitement to violence. Violations could trigger penalties of either $10 million or 3% of a company’s global revenue, whichever is greater.
The proposal comes ahead of next week’s G7 summit in France, where leaders are expected to discuss artificial intelligence governance and child protection online. Several countries have already tightened rules: Australia has banned social media access for under‑16s, while the UK, France, New Zealand and Greece are considering or implementing similar restrictions.
Australia’s law, introduced last year, bars minors from creating accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, requiring companies to take “reasonable steps” to block underage users.
Enforcement, however, has proven difficult, with many children still active online. Investigations are ongoing into possible non‑compliance by major platforms.
Canada’s approach differs by offering exemptions to firms that can demonstrate effective harm‑reduction measures, a provision experts say could incentivize stronger safety practices.
Children’s advocacy groups have welcomed the proposal, though critics warn that broad definitions of harmful content could raise free‑expression concerns.
The bill is expected to be debated in Parliament in the coming weeks as Canada moves toward formalizing its online safety framework.
