Canada proposes social-media age limit under 16 alongside new digital-safety rules

The federal government introduced the Safe Social Media Act, Bill C-34, on Wednesday. The legislation would establish a new Digital Safety Commission and set safety criteria for social media platforms and AI chatbots. It would also ban social media accounts for children under 16, with possible exemptions for services that implement adequate safeguards.

The government plans to implement the age minimum before the Digital Safety Commission is established. Jenny Perez, a Vancouver parent, said the bill is comprehensive and prioritizes children. She added that a regulatory body is critical because legislation requires proper enforcement.

High school students expressed mixed views on the proposed ban. , student, said she strongly disagrees with the ban because social media is a pivotal platform for advocacy and connecting with like-minded individuals. She noted that kids in Australia are using VPNs and parents' identification to bypass age-verification.

Xavier Carr, a Toronto high school student, said kids will always find a way onto the internet and that limits should involve restrictions rather than a total ban under 16. Khalil Al Kaddah, a Halifax high school student, said the ban is stupid because parents should teach kids right from wrong rather than the government intervening.

Aany Vital Ramos, an Ottawa high school student, said a ban is a great first step but not the full solution and that youth voices should be heard in the process.

Theo De Decker, a Halifax high school student, said enforcing the ban will likely come at the cost of some privacy and may raise ethical concerns. Igbilosa Adun, a Toronto high school student, said people are exploiting kids under age on social platforms and that sometimes parents post videos of their children.