According to a report by the National Post, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is set to introduce a sweeping online safety bill that bans social media for Canadian children under the age of 16.
The sweeping bill is expected to land on Wednesday, right before the House of Commons rises for its summer break, setting up a massive regulatory showdown with Silicon Valley.
A government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the proposed framework mirrors a highly aggressive policy model recently deployed in Australia. The core text of the upcoming legislation mandates a minimum age of 16 for creating new social media accounts.
Crucially, the legal responsibility to enforce this rule will fall directly on tech giants like Meta, TikTok, and X, forcing them to proactively prevent underage users from holding profiles. However, the bill introduces a major strategic loophole that distinguishes it from international models. The legislation will allow tech platforms to apply for official safety exemptions.
If a social media company can successfully prove to federal regulators that it has built robust, ironclad safety guardrails that explicitly protect young users from algorithmic harm, cyberbullying, and data exploitation, the government may grant them permission to operate for younger teens.
This policy pivot marks a massive shift from the former Liberal administration under Justin Trudeau, whose signature online safety bill, known as Bill C-63, completely collapsed and died in Parliament in early 2025. Since taking office last year, the Carney government has faced relentless, growing pressure from children’s health organizations and digital advocacy groups to revive tech industry regulations.
While the new law explicitly takes aim at major social media platforms, tech insiders will find it notable that the draft framework completely leaves out artificial intelligence chatbots. AI assistants and generative platforms will not be subject to the under-16 ban.
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