Canadian Government To Introduce Digital Safety Bill With Possible Social Media Ban For Minors

HAMILTON (Canada), June 10 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is expected to introduce legislation as soon as Wednesday that could ban children younger than 16 from social media platforms and establish a new digital safety regulator, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, citing CBC News on Tuesday.

The bill, listed as the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act, would also seek to mitigate harms caused by the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots, according to the report.

"I think it's obvious why it's priority. Kids are dying," Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller told reporters on his way into a Cabinet meeting.

Miller, who is leading the bill, and Justice Minister Sean Fraser declined to confirm the legislation's contents ahead of the tabling in the House of Commons.

"I think it suffices to say that we will take all reasonable measures to make sure kids are safe in this country," said Miller.

Fraser, meanwhile, pushed back on concerns that the legislation would infringe on free speech.

"You don't have to give up your freedoms in order to ensure people can live safely in a society," he said.

Pointing to the changing digital landscape facing young children, Fraser said, " We're seeing increasingly generation of young people who were not introduced to social media when they were an adult going through university and into their professional; we are seeing kids who are from the moment they are 4-5 years old, sometimes even younger," adding that "it's incumbent on governments to recognise that, as society changes, as technological adoption increases, that we are respectful with people's rights, but at the same time that we can make moves to address modern challenges."

The bill follows a failed attempt under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose online harms bill died when he prorogued parliament in early 2025.

Conservative MP Kevin Waugh said he was watching to see what the government introduces, but suggested parents bear more responsibility.

"We gotta teach the parents to parent," he said.

The legislation comes as several countries move to restrict social media access to minors, and ahead of the G7 summit in France, where the issue is expected to be raised.

A growing number of European countries are moving to limit minors' access to social media amid rising concern about the effect of online platforms on young people’s mental health and well-being.

Australia introduced what is widely seen as the world's first nationwide ban on social media for under-16s last year, which included platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

With Canada leaning toward its European allies, the move also appears to aim to craft its own approach.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU