Feds Want to Ban Kids From Social Media, But Adults Could Need ID Too

Law professor Michael Geist says a new UK regulator report shows what age checks for keeping teens under 16 off social media would take, and it makes Canada’s Bill C-34 plan look rushed.

In a post explaining on Friday, Michael Geist argues Ottawa wants its under-16 ban running before the Digital Safety Commission even exists. Bill C-34 would keep anyone under 16 off social media, which means millions of Canadians would face age checks just to create an account. The bill leaves the future commission to set those standards and calls for a Privacy Commissioner consultation, but Ottawa still plans to bring the ban into force before either exists.

The United Kingdom is aiming for a similar ban in spring 2027, but it asked Ofcom to study workable age checks first. Ofcom’s report finds that every method able to show someone is 16 or older still needs photo ID, upfront or as a backup. Credit cards, mobile accounts, and email age guesses do not work for an under-16 ban, and parental consent is ruled out because some parents will lie to help their kids around the rules. Facial age estimation skips documents, yet Ofcom treats it as too error-prone for teenagers, so many 16- and 17-year-olds would still need ID. Keeping under-16s out also means checking many adults. The same gaps hang over Canada’s Safe Social Media Act, and Ottawa has not closed them.

When the UK announced its ban in June, it asked Ofcom to assess the technology and promised rules and an impact study before the ban takes effect. Bill C-34 has a similar structure on paper, yet Ottawa still plans to start without that homework. Geist warns that rushing ahead invites a constitutional challenge, since tens of millions of Canadians could be told to verify their age without standards, a privacy consultation, or a working commission.

Would you accept a photo ID or face scan just to keep a social media account if Canada follows the UK’s findings?