Canada Moves to Regulate Social Media for Children
The proposed law, formally titled the Safe Social Media Act, "aims to change that by ensuring that social media services and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are responsible for addressing harm before it occurs," said a statement by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
"As technologies evolve, we must ensure our laws keep pace, because parents cannot face these challenges alone," said Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller, who introduced the bill, adding: "The safety of children cannot be an afterthought."
The legislation enshrines three binding obligations for regulated platforms. Every service would be subject to a "Duty to Protect Children." Social media companies would additionally face a "Duty to Act Responsibly" — requiring them to assess and reduce exposure to harmful content, label AI-generated material, and equip users with tools to flag and block harmful interactions. A third obligation, the "Duty to Make Certain Content Inaccessible," would mandate the swift removal of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate imagery, including deep fakes.
AI chatbot services would face a parallel version of the responsibility duty, compelling them to mitigate harmful content risks, disclose crisis reporting thresholds, and eliminate dangerous chatbot behavior.
The bill also proposes the creation of a dedicated digital safety commission empowered to enforce compliance and provide support to victims of online harm. Platforms could apply for an exemption from the under-16 restriction by demonstrating robust and verifiable child safety protections.
Health Minister Points to 'Anxiety, Isolation, Depression' Caused by Social Media
Health Minister Marjorie Michel warned in the statement that social media platforms and AI chatbots "have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression, and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians."
The legislation arrives as a growing number of nations move to restrict minors' access to social media, and just ahead of a G7 summit in France where the issue is expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
Australia blazed the trail last year with what is widely regarded as the world's first nationwide social media ban for under-16s, covering major platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Canada's move signals its alignment with that global momentum, while carving out a distinctly Canadian regulatory approach that leans toward its European allies rather than mirroring the American model.
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