Canada moves to bar social media for children under 16
What's next: Officials said the bill could take a year to pass, with another 18 months needed to set up a digital regulator.
Canada introduced a digital safety bill on June 10 that would block children under 16 from using social media, unless platforms meet safety standards set by a new regulator. The legislation would also impose safeguards on AI chatbots. The move comes months after Australia enacted the world’s first social media ban for young people and as other countries, including France, Denmark, Poland and Greece, consider tighter rules. The proposal reached Parliament shortly before the summer recess, and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government holds only a slim majority. Officials said passage could take about a year, followed by 18 months to establish the regulator.