Canada Proposes An Under-16 Social Media Ban

The Canadian federal government recently introduced the Safe Social Media Act in Parliament. If the bill is successful, Canadian children under the age of 16 will no longer be able to have accounts on “social media services”, which include traditional social media platforms as well as livestreaming and user-uploaded adult content services.

This move adds Canada to a growing list of countries that have proposed or implemented youth social media bans in recent years. One of the most high-profile examples is Australia, which implemented an under-16 social media ban back in January.

Unlike countries such as Australia, Canada’s proposed under-16 social media ban is not absolute. Social media companies can be granted an exemption from the ban if they are deemed to have “sufficient safeguards” to protect children.