Want to kick your kids off social media? It just might become a law one day in Canada. According to the Toronto Star, the federal government is “very seriously” exploring a social media ban for children, Culture Minister Marc Miller confirmed on Wednesday. The move comes just days after Liberal party members threw their support behind the proposal at a national convention.
“The grassroots have spoken. We do have to study that,” Miller told reporters in Ottawa. The push for age restrictions gained momentum in Montreal on Saturday, where party members passed a non-binding resolution to set 16 as the minimum age for social media access.
While Miller acknowledged that a ban could be a useful “layer” of protection, he cautioned that it isn’t a magic fix for the broader issue of internet safety. “Online harms don’t end as soon as you turn 15 or 16 or 17,” he said, noting that the government must view it as one part of a larger strategy.
According to a report by the Toronto Star, Canada is looking closely at international precedents. Last December, Australia became the first nation to legally enforce age limits for social media accounts, providing a potential roadmap for Canadian officials.
The proposed restrictions may not stop at social apps. Miller indicated that the government is also asking experts to weigh in on whether the upcoming online harms bill should cover AI chatbots. “The more these things become prevalent and people have access to them and they are in fact causing harm, then you feel the people that are supporting these platforms or the owners of these chatbots have a responsibility,” Miller said.
While the Liberals also adopted a resolution to set age limits for AI chatbots, Miller declined to provide a specific timeline for when the new legislation will be officially introduced.
What do you think? Should the feds ban social media app for kids under 16, just like Australia?
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