Canada is introducing a safety bill that bans social media for children under 16
The bill comes months after Australia passed similar legislation designed to make internet use safer for young people.
The Canadian government introduced Bill C-34, The Secure Communications Actwhich will prevent young people under the age of 16 from using social media, except for platforms that meet certain security standards. Another goal of the bill is to make AI chatbots safer by setting up digital controls to establish safety standards.
Health Minister Marjorie Michel said, “Social media and AI chatter are designed to attract attention.
“The healthy development of our children begins with their physical and mental well-being, which is based on strong and healthy relationships. This legislation will provide a safe environment for Canadian youth and empower them to connect personally, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills to succeed.”
It could take up to a year for the bill to pass and an additional six months to establish a digital controller, in addition, companies that fail to comply face penalties of 3pc of global revenue, or up to C$10m.
The proposed law will make online services more accountable and transparent by introducing new security requirements for social media services and AI chatbot services. This will include age restrictions, measures to reduce children’s exposure to certain content and high-risk interactions and regulated services will be required to identify, reduce and address risks on their platforms.
Marc Miller, the minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, who is responsible for official languages, said, “We have seen the serious consequences that online harm can have. As technology advances, we must ensure that our laws keep pace, because parents cannot face these challenges alone.
“The safety of children will not be an afterthought. This legislation will introduce stronger obligations on social media to ensure that their services are safe by design and include appropriate measures to keep children safe.”
Canada is not the first state to consider restricting youth access to social media. In December last year, Australia made the first law in the world to ban children under the age of 16 from social media, with the aim of strengthening the safety of children. The ban affects Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and TikTok.
Other districts that have considered making changes include in the UK again France and in November 2025 the European Parliament proposed to fix it EU-wide minimum age of access to social media, video sharing platforms and AI friends.
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