Canada has taken a major step towards tightening online safety regulations by introducing legislation that could prohibit children under the age of 16 from holding social media accounts unless technology companies can demonstrate that their platforms provide adequate protections for young users. The proposed law, tabled in Parliament this week, places Canada among a growing list of countries seeking to shield children from the potential harms of social media and emerging digital technologies.
The proposed legislation, known as the Safe Social Media Act, would require social media companies to meet stringent safety standards in order to obtain exemptions from the ban. Platforms that fail to satisfy regulators that they offer a safe online environment for minors could be barred from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts. The Canadian government has argued that existing safeguards are insufficient and that stronger intervention is needed to protect children from harmful online experiences.
Introducing the bill, Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller said governments could no longer ignore the growing concerns surrounding social media’s impact on young people. He argued that many platforms are designed to maximize user engagement and attention, contributing to anxiety, isolation, depression and other mental health challenges among children and teenagers. According to Miller, the legislation aims to create a safer digital environment that encourages young people to focus on real-world interactions, education and healthy development.
The bill also targets harmful online content, including material that promotes self-harm, incites violence, spreads hatred or involves non-consensual intimate imagery. To enforce the new framework, the government plans to establish a Digital Safety Commission that would oversee compliance, develop safety standards and determine which platforms qualify for exemptions. Officials have indicated that creating the regulatory body could take up to 18 months, while full implementation of the law may require considerably more time.
In addition to regulating social media, the legislation proposes new oversight measures for artificial intelligence chatbots. Developers of AI systems would be required to adopt safeguards against harmful content and introduce intervention mechanisms in situations involving threats of self-harm or violence. Companies that fail to comply with the new rules could face penalties of up to 3% of their global revenue or C$10 million, whichever amount is greater.
The proposal follows similar moves by countries such as Australia, which recently implemented age-based restrictions on social media access for minors. Governments in several other nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and South Korea, are also examining stricter regulations aimed at protecting children online. Supporters of the Canadian initiative argue that the legislation reflects growing public concern over cyberbullying, misinformation, exploitation and the addictive design features used by many digital platforms.
However, the proposal is expected to generate debate over issues such as age verification, privacy and freedom of expression. Critics have questioned how authorities will enforce the restrictions without requiring extensive identity checks and whether a blanket ban is the most effective approach. Despite those concerns, the legislation represents one of the most ambitious attempts yet by a major Western nation to reshape the online environment for children and place greater responsibility on technology companies for the wellbeing of young users.
