The risks are 'real, measurable, and increasing': Canada is the latest
country to move to ban social media for under-16s

Date:
Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:57:49 +0000

Description:
Canada has tabled a bill that will stop under-16s from accessing social
media, though it's not law yet.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Canada tables the The Safe Social Media Act in Bill C-34 It needs to be approved by both the House of Commons and the Senate Under-16s would be banned from social media platforms There's an increasing realization that social media isn't particularly
healthy for younger children, and a growing number of governments are now taking legislative action in response, with Canada the latest country to move to ban access to social media platforms for under-16s.

This is being done via the The Safe Social Media Act (via Engadget ), put forward by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller. The Act describes "growing risks" for young people that are "real, measurable, and increasing" including negative effects on mental health, cyberbullying, and sexual abuse. The Act also flags up AI as driving changes in "how harmful content is created, amplified, and experienced online". The Canadian government posits that the algorithms and engagement-baiting of social media platforms, together with features like endless scroll and autoplaying videos, have exacerbated these problems. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Introduced under Bill C-34, the Act is now officially tabled in the Canadian Parliament, though there's a way to go yet before it's made law. It will need to be voted in by both the House of Commons and the Senate, before being approved by the Governor General, but the process is now well underway.

"We're failing our children," Miller told reporters including CBC . "Enough
is enough. We need basic protection in place so every child in this country can be safe on platforms they use every day." The plan is to set up a
watchdog commission to make sure the ban on access for under-16s is upheld. You may like The UK Government's new social media rules for under-16s are coming soon Medical report links social media use in children to tobacco use UK still considers social media ban as Australia struggles with enforcement
AI not included AI apps like ChatGPT would be exempt from the ban, for now (Image credit: Shutterstock/Alex Photo Stock) The ban would apply to social media platforms, livestreaming services, and adult content services. Social media platforms and livestreaming services (but not adult content services) will be able to apply for exemptions, if they can prove "adequate safeguards" have been put in place for young people.

AI chatbots won't be included in the ban, though the bill does require that they take steps to reduce the risk of harmful content being generated in response to user prompts. Miller said that AI apps represented "an evolving playing field", and that authorities would "keep a close eye" on these services. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Exactly how this ban will be enforced hasn't been specified Miller said
there would be "a back and forth" with the social platforms on this and CBC quotes concerns from Michael Geist, the University of Ottawa's Canada
Research Chair, that any kind of age verification process would impinge on
the privacy rights of all users, not just children.

A similar ban on social media for under-16s was put in place in Australia
last year, though there's some debate over how effective it's being. Other countries, including the UK, are weighing up restrictions of their own,
though difficulties with enforcement and verification are problems no matter what the location.

It's a little over 20 years since Facebook arrived, and social platforms are now facing a real reckoning: Meta and YouTube were ruled "negligent" by a Los Angeles court back in March , while just this week Apple devoted a large part of its WWDC 2026 presentation to improved protections for children on its devices. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/social-media/the-risks-are-real-measurable -and-increasing-canada-is-the-latest-country-to-move-to-ban-social-media-for-u nder-16s


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