Canada Plans to Ban Under‑16 Users from Social Media and Regulate AI Use

Canada’s culture minister introduced legislation on Wednesday that would prohibit children under 16 from owning social media accounts and would require AI chatbot services to limit the creation of harmful content.

The proposed “Digital Safety Act” positions Canada among a growing list of countries seeking to curb the influence of social media platforms due to concerns about child safety.

“We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have…The safety of children cannot be an afterthought,” Culture Minister Marc Miller said in a statement announcing the proposal.

The bill would ban social media accounts for users under 16, but would allow an exemption pathway for companies that can demonstrate sufficient safeguards for children.

In addition to the social media restrictions, the act would regulate AI chatbots by requiring companies to mitigate the risk of the chatbot communicating harmful content.

Companies would also be required to provide transparency regarding “reporting thresholds in crisis situations,” such as when a user intends to harm themselves or another person.

The issue has gained particular sensitivity in Canada following a mass shooting in April that killed nine people, including the shooter, in the small mining town of Tumbler Ridge.

OpenAI faced criticism after it banned the shooter from its platform in June last year over the user’s troubling conversations on ChatGPT, but did not report the account to Canadian police because it said it saw no evidence of an imminent attack.

In December, Australia became the first country to require TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other major sites to remove accounts held by users under 16 or face heavy fines.

Indonesia began enforcing its own social media ban for users under 16 in March, and several European governments have announced plans to pursue similar measures.

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