Tech companies may request an exemption if they manage to convince regulators that they have solid child protection mechanisms in place.
In short: another country joins the growing list of nations restricting social media use among children. Canada has introduced a legislative proposal that would prevent anyone under 16 from having accounts on these platforms, although there is an exception path for tech companies covered by the rules.
The bill, known as C-34 or the Secure Digital Environments Act, would require social media platforms and some AI-based chatbot services to protect minors from online harms. The Canadian government states that the goal is to shift the burden from parents to the companies that design platforms intended to keep young users scrolling for hours.
This law would create a new regulatory body called the Canadian Digital Safety Commission, responsible for enforcing the rules, issuing compliance orders, and imposing penalties. Platforms would have to assess and reduce risks, publish safety plans, offer clearer ways to report harmful content, and block it. They would also have to limit children’s exposure to seven types of harmful material, including content that sexually exploits minors, promotes self-harm, enables bullying, fosters hatred, incites violence, or supports terrorism and violent extremism.
AI chatbot services would face specific obligations tailored to their technology, including measures regarding harmful responses and crisis situations where a user might be at risk of hurting themselves or others.
“Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy child development and have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression, and various mental health disorders for many young Canadians,” said Marjorie Michel, Canada’s Minister of Health.
The loophole — or incentive, depending on one’s perspective — is that social media platforms may request an exemption from the under-16 account ban if they can demonstrate they have sufficient safeguards for children. The government has yet to specify exactly what those safeguards would entail, though adult content services would not be eligible.
Canada follows the example of Australia, which became the first country to introduce a national social media ban for under-16s and has since forced platforms to deactivate millions of accounts. Brazil, Malaysia, and Indonesia have also introduced or announced age-based restrictions, while France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea are among the countries studying or developing similar measures.
In the United States, the legal battle has largely played out at the state level. Florida passed one of the strictest laws, banning accounts for children aged 14 or younger and requiring parental consent for those aged 15, while Utah, Tennessee, Mississippi, and others have enacted rules focused on parental consent, age verification, or app stores. Many of these laws have faced lawsuits or been blocked by courts.
It seems almost certain that the United Kingdom will be next. The British government appears inclined to impose restrictions on “harmful” social media for under-16s, along with measures targeting AI chatbots, video games, addictive design features, and protections against child sexual abuse material, including on-device image scanning. The White House has urged Britain not to adopt an Australia-style ban, warning that radical regulations could burden US tech companies.
This response is AI-generated, for reference only.
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