Manitoba is set to become the first province in Canada to implement a ban on social media and AI chatbots for youth. Premier Wab Kinew announced the plan, stating that the province is moving forward with the initiative because these platforms are built to capture attention rather than protect it.
Kinew announced the the policy in a speech on Saturday at an event held by his New Democratic Party.
“Our kids are not for sale,” Kinew said, adding that childhood should be focused on learning and growing rather than “endless scrolling designed for profit.”
The Premier argued that the digital landscape has shifted away from the best interests of children. He noted that the government owes the next generation a simple promise, which is the “freedom to be a kid.”
Kinew highlighted that the focus of the province should be on supporting the development of young people in the real world. “The focus of our society should be to train our next generation. It shouldn’t be to train the next AI model,” Kinew said.
The move aims to ensure that children can enjoy the province and remain present in their daily lives. Kinew emphasized that the attention and childhoods of Manitobans “should never be profited from.”
While the government acknowledges there is “a lot more to do” to finalize the plan, the announcement marks a major step in regulating how technology companies interact with minors in Canada.
The move by Manitoba comes ahead of the federal government’s own plan to look seriously into banning social media and AI chatbots for kids, following a similar move in Australia. But as we recently shared, the Australia ban is seeing kids bypass restrictions, so it’s not perfect by any means.
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