Canada Unveils Under-16 Social Media Ban, Threatening 3% Revenue Penalties for AI and Platform Breaches
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 10
Canada Unveils Under-16 Social Media Ban, Threatening 3% Revenue Penalties for AI and Platform Breaches
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 10
Summary
C$10 million or 3% of global revenue penalties would hit companies that fail to block under-16s from social media or meet new AI chatbot safety rules under a bill introduced in Parliament.
The legislation would let some platforms keep younger users only if they satisfy safety standards set by a new digital regulator, whose creation could take 18 months after the bill passes.
Marc Miller said the measure targets anxiety, isolation and depression linked to attention-driven platforms, while the AI provisions arrive weeks after families sued OpenAI over a mass shooting.
Australia enacted the first under-16 social media ban in December, and France, Denmark, Poland and Greece are also tightening child-access rules as Canada pursues a broader model covering AI.
Will Canada's social media ban for teens actually work, or just create a new privacy crisis?
Can new laws stop AI chatbots from giving teens dangerous advice on mental health and suicide?
Canada’s Under-16 Social Media Ban: Effectiveness, Global Lessons, and the Future of Online Youth Protection
Overview
Canada is preparing to introduce a major online safety bill that would ban social media use for anyone under 16. The Carney government is taking this bold step to protect children from online harms, including the negative effects of social media and risks from generative AI. This move comes as Canada tries to catch up with other countries in regulating the internet. The proposed law is expected to be presented before the summer, while Prime Minister Mark Carney will join G7 leaders in France to discuss a unified approach to keeping children safe online.