Canada Proposes Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16

Canada has proposed what could become one of its biggest internet regulations yet. A newly introduced bill is targeting everything from social media platforms and AI chatbots to deepfakes, harmful content, and underage users, potentially bringing major changes for tech companies operating in the country.

The proposed legislation, known as Bill C-34, introduces the Digital Safety Act and creates a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada to oversee enforcement. The government says the goal is to reduce online harms, particularly those affecting children, while increasing transparency from digital platforms.

Social media and AI chatbots could face new restrictions

Under the proposal, certain regulated social media services could be required to implement age-verification or age-estimation systems designed to prevent users under 16 from creating accounts. Platforms that host pornographic content may also need to introduce age checks to stop minors from accessing that material. The bill also extends beyond traditional social media.

AI chatbot services that can simulate long-term human-like relationships would fall under the legislation. Operators could be required to prevent harmful behavior, avoid deceptive interactions that make chatbots appear human, and intervene when users express suicidal thoughts or intentions of self-harm by directing them to crisis support services.

Deepfakes, harmful content, and transparency in focus

Regulated social media services may be required to label synthetic content when it could reasonably be mistaken for authentic audio or video. The bill also requires platforms to provide tools for users to report harmful content and block other users.

Speaking of harmful content, the legislation covers categories including child sexual exploitation material, non-consensual intimate imagery, content that encourages self-harm among children, hate-promoting content, violent content, and terrorism-related material. Platforms would be expected to implement measures that reduce user exposure to such content.

That being said, the proposal is still at the first reading stage in Canada’s Parliament. The bill faces committee reviews, debates, and potential amendments before any of these requirements become law.

Besides Canada, other countries are also taking action on online child safety. In the UK, regulator Ofcom has opened a probe into Telegram over child safety concerns and warned that TikTok and YouTube are still “not safe enough” for children, highlighting growing regulatory pressure on digital platforms to better protect young users.