Canada Prepares Legislation to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

Canada's government is set to introduce a bill banning social media for children under 16, with provisions allowing platforms to seek exemptions if they can demonstrate safety capabilities. Unlike Australia's stricter approach, Canada's legislation will reportedly exclude AI chatbots from the ban but establish platform responsibilities and create a new regulatory agency to enforce rules and address harmful content. Culture Minister Marc Miller indicated the government is seriously considering such regulations, though he noted that evidence from Australia's first year showed mixed results, with bans estimated at roughly 50 percent effective due to children circumventing age verification systems. The proposed bill follows an earlier 2025 Canadian effort that required platforms to submit safety plans but failed to pass Parliament. Recent catalysts for renewed action include Australia's enforcement beginning in December 2025, other countries announcing similar measures throughout 2026, and a February mass shooting in British Columbia where the perpetrator used ChatGPT despite the platform's safety team detecting and closing his account for violent content.