Canada Introduces Legislation to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16 Unless Platforms Meet Safety Standards

Jun 10, 2026

Canada has introduced the Safe Social Media Act to ban children under 16 from social media, with exemptions for platforms that meet safety standards set by a new Digital Safety Commission. The bill, which also regulates AI chatbots, comes amid concerns over youth mental health and follows a similar ban in Australia. Companies face fines of up to 3% of global revenue for non-compliance.

Social media age restriction legislation

▪The legislation covers seven categories of harmful content, including material that bullies a child, incites violence, or foments hatred.
▪On June 10, 2026, the Canadian government introduced the Safe Social Media Act, which would ban children under 16 from social media platforms.
▪The bill was introduced by Culture Minister Marc Miller, who stated that social media platforms have become a source of anxiety and depression for young Canadians.

Digital Safety Commission enforcement mechanism

▪Government officials estimate it could take up to 18 months to establish the Digital Safety Commission after the bill becomes law.
▪The legislation would create a new independent regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, to enforce the law.
▪Companies that violate the act could face penalties of 3% of their global revenue or C$10 million ($7.2 million), whichever is greater.

Platform safety exemption criteria

▪The age restrictions would not apply to AI chatbots or gaming platforms like Roblox, and adult pornography platforms cannot seek exemptions.
▪The ban would not apply to platforms that meet specific safety standards, which will be determined by a new regulator.
▪The legislation will require platforms to establish age verification measures.

AI chatbot harm-response requirements

▪The bill requires AI chatbots to implement measures to respond when a user expresses intent for suicide, self-harm, or causing serious harm to others.
▪The proposed law would not require AI chatbot companies to report harmful user interactions to the police.
▪The bill's introduction follows a mass shooting in British Columbia where the suspect used ChatGPT to discuss gun violence months before the attack.

Online harms legislative history

▪Australia enacted the world's first social media ban for children under 16 in December 2025.
▪Other countries, including the UK, France, Denmark, and Greece, are also considering or implementing similar social media restrictions for children.
▪The bill is the Liberal government's latest attempt to pass online harms legislation after a previous bill failed in 2024 amid free speech concerns.
▪Following Australia's ban, social media companies deactivated approximately 4.7 million accounts belonging to children.