Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is preparing to table legislation this week that would prohibit social media platforms for users younger than 16 by default, while creating a mechanism for platforms to seek exemptions if they can prove they keep young Canadians safe online. A government official speaking on background confirmed the plan.
The prospective bill would set out a framework to establish a new regulator and would target multiple forms of harmful content online. While the legislation is intended to impose clear responsibilities on digital platforms, it is not expected to include the same form of prohibition for AI chatbots; instead the proposal is to define a set of duties platforms must satisfy.
Child safety advocates and organizations focused on children’s health have been urging the Carney government since it took office last year to revive regulatory efforts that were advanced under the previous government. Those efforts culminated in Bill C-63, which did not become law and died in Parliament in early 2025.
Supporters of stronger tech regulation have argued that Canadian protections for children lag behind those in other countries that have dedicated online safety regimes and a regulator. The proposed approach being advanced this week aims to respond to those concerns by creating statutory obligations for platforms and a path to formal oversight.
Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller, who is responsible for guiding the government’s renewed push to legislate against online harms, has previously said the federal government was "very seriously" considering the idea of banning social media for minors - a policy first introduced by Australia. That comment underscores the degree to which comparative international policy has informed discussion in Ottawa.
The exemption route described in the draft legislation would allow platforms to demonstrate that they meet safety standards for young users, rather than face an absolute prohibition. Details on the threshold for those exemptions and the practical operation of the new regulator remain to be laid out in the bill and accompanying regulations.
Key points
- Carney government plans to introduce legislation banning social media for under-16s, with an exemption process for platforms that can prove they protect young users.
- The bill would open the path to create a new regulator and set responsibilities for platforms while not applying the same ban to AI chatbots.
- The move follows calls by child safety and health groups to revive measures that stalled when Bill C-63 died in Parliament in early 2025, and reflects international comparisons to regimes in other countries.
Risks and uncertainties
- Legislative uncertainty: a prior effort, Bill C-63, fell in Parliament in early 2025, highlighting the risk that new measures may also face parliamentary hurdles; this affects the regulatory and legal sectors as well as platform compliance planning.
- Scope of exemptions: the criteria and process for platforms to obtain exemptions are not yet detailed, creating ambiguity for social media companies and advertisers about future access to younger users.
- Coverage gaps for AI: the legislation is not expected to impose the same ban on AI chatbots, leaving questions about how responsibilities relating to AI-driven interactions with young people will be addressed; this is relevant for tech firms developing conversational systems.