Canada will protect kids against social media predatory tactics

The Canadian government plans to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media as part of its long-awaited online harms legislation. According to multiple sources reported by the media, Ottawa will introduce the legislation on June 10 after months of speculation about how far it would go to protect young Canadians online. If Parliament passes the bill, Canada would join a growing list of countries imposing age-based restrictions on social media platforms amid concerns about cyberbullying, harmful content, online predators and the impact prolonged social media use can have on young people's mental health.

What would the legislation do?

The proposed legislation would be a significant federal intervention into children's online activity and would also impact social media companies. Most major platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, already require users to be at least 13 years old under their terms of service. However, those restrictions rely largely on self-reporting and remain difficult to enforce. Ottawa's proposal would instead establish a legal minimum age of 16 and place greater responsibility on technology companies to prevent younger users from creating or maintaining accounts. The government has not yet released details explaining exactly how platforms would verify users' ages.

The age restriction is part of a broader online harms package that has remained a major priority for Mark Carney's federal government. Child advocates, educators and parents have repeatedly urged Ottawa to strengthen protections for young people online, arguing that social media companies have failed to police harmful content adequately. The government previously attempted to address online safety through legislation introduced in 2024, but that bill died before becoming law. The new legislation appears to place a stronger focus on children and teenagers.

Support for the bill rising

Support for tougher restrictions has grown steadily across Canada. Earlier this year, Liberal Party members voted in favour of establishing 16 as the minimum age for social media use. Quebec MP Rachel Bendayan, who championed the proposal within the party, argued that excessive social media use can negatively affect the mental health of young Canadians. Public opinion has also shifted. An Angus Reid survey released in March found that nearly nine in ten Canadians supported restricting social media access for children under 16, while three-quarters supported a complete ban for that age group.

More countries moving toward social media restrictions

Canada is not alone in passing this legislation. Governments around the world have increasingly moved toward restricting children's access to social media. Australia became the first country to implement a nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16, while several European countries have proposed similar measures or stricter regulations. Policymakers argue that social media platforms expose children to addictive algorithms, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and harmful content at increasingly young ages. The international trend has added pressure on Ottawa to introduce its own restrictions rather than relying solely on voluntary action from technology companies.

There are critics who question whether bans can actually work. Technology experts have repeatedly warned that age verification systems remain imperfect and could create new privacy concerns. Others argue that parents should retain primary responsibility for managing their children's online activity. Taylor Owen, director of McGill University's Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, previously questioned whether platform age restrictions are meaningfully enforced. Critics also warn that determined teenagers often find ways around age restrictions, potentially limiting the effectiveness of any ban.

Children's safety at risk

The debate extends beyond social media itself. Child advocates have increasingly linked online harms to broader concerns involving artificial intelligence, online exploitation, sextortion and algorithm-driven content recommendations. Several advocacy groups have urged Ottawa to move faster on online safety legislation, arguing existing protections no longer reflect the realities facing young internet users. Governments in Europe and the United Kingdom have also explored restrictions targeting addictive platform features, age verification systems and content recommendation algorithms rather than focusing exclusively on access bans. Policymakers continue debating which approach will provide the strongest protections.

The government has not publicly explained how the ban would operate, what penalties platforms could face for non-compliance or whether exemptions would exist for educational or communication purposes. Those details will likely emerge when the legislation reaches Parliament. Still, the direction of travel appears clear. A government source told news outlets that Ottawa intends to prohibit social media use for children under 16, a move that would fundamentally reshape how millions of young Canadians interact with some of the world's largest technology platforms.