The Canadian government has introduced legislation that would ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms unless companies can prove their services meet strict safety standards.
According to Reuters, the proposed Digital Safety Act would also introduce new regulations for artificial intelligence chatbots and create a dedicated digital regulator to oversee online safety standards. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 3% of their global revenue or C$10 million, whichever is greater.
Canadian Culture Minister Marc Miller said social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture users’ attention and have contributed to anxiety, isolation, depression and other mental health challenges among young people.
The legislation would allow exemptions for platforms that can demonstrate they have implemented sufficient safeguards to protect young users. However, companies would need to meet standards set by the proposed regulator before receiving approval.
The bill follows a growing international push to restrict children’s access to social media. Australia became the first nation to introduce a nationwide ban on social media for under-16s in December 2025. Countries including France, Denmark and Poland are also considering tighter controls, while Greece plans to block access for children under 15 from January 2027.
The proposal comes weeks after families affected by one of Canada’s worst mass shootings filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company failed to alert authorities despite warning signs from the suspected attacker. The new legislation seeks to establish safety standards for AI chatbots as part of a broader effort to reduce online harms.
Government officials said it could take about a year for the bill to pass through Parliament and another 18 months to establish the new regulator, meaning full implementation may take up to 30 months.
