Canada to introduce youth social media ban this week
· Toronto Sun
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OTTAWA — Canada’s ban on kids accessing social media is expected to be tabled as the House of Commons prepares to rise for its summer break at the end of this week.
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Government sources told Postmedia this week that the long-awaited online safety bill is expected to be introduced into the House of Commons later this week.
That bill, various sources told media outlets on Tuesday, would include a ban on youth under age 16 from accessing social media platforms.
But sources say that will come with exemptions.
Namely, platforms able to provide sound proof of measures meant to protect minors from online harms will be available to those under the age of 16.
Sources also said the impending bill does not include language that prohibit those 16 years of age or under from accessing AI chatbots.
Social media ban for youth popular among Canadians
According to the results of an Angus Reid survey released in late March, Canadians widely approve of prohibiting youth under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms.
Three quarters of those polled support a full ban, while 13% of respondents oppose a ban, and 5% say they strongly oppose it.
Support for a ban was strongest among households with children, 70% of which said they supported the ban.
Screen time addiction ranked as the highest concern at 94%, the same number who said the number one issue was concerns over mental health.
Other concerns include online predators, misinformation and cyberbullying, privacy, exposure to pornography or explicit content, and political radicalization.
Australia introduced ban last year
Australia became the world’s first nation to ban kids from social media in December, with Aussie kids 16 and under finding themselves blocked from YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Brazil enacted a similar rule this past spring, with platforms forbidden from exposing minors to infinite doomscrolling, and requirements for youth to link their social media accounts to their parents.
Austria announced in March it would enact a ban this summer for residents under the age of 14, while Denmark said its ban would only apply to those 15-and-under.
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