Canada Proposes Ban on Social Media for Under-16s, New AI Rules

Canada's culture minister, Marc Miller, introduced a bill on Wednesday that would ban children under 16 from opening social media accounts. The proposed Digital Safety Act also targets AI chatbots, requiring companies to stop them from producing harmful content.

The move puts Canada in a growing list of countries cracking down on social media over concerns about children's safety. Miller said in a statement that the country has seen "very serious consequences" from online harms and that "the safety of children cannot be an afterthought."

The law would force social media platforms to block under-16s from creating accounts.

Adult content platforms and other social media services would also have to reduce risks of exposure to harmful content. They'd need to label any content made by AI.

A new Digital Safety Commission would enforce the rules. Companies that break them could face fines of up to 3% of their global revenue or CAD$10 million — whichever's higher.

Health Minister Marjorie Michel said the legislation will give young Canadians a safer environment and help them "connect in-person, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills."

Sachin Maharaj, an education professor at the University of Ottawa, called the proposal "a step towards the right direction." He said it recognises that social media is linked to behavioural and social problems. But he admitted that "kids will find their way around" restrictions. "The real challenge is to change the way the apps work," he told AFP.

The AI part of the law came into sharper focus after a mass shooting in April in Tumbler Ridge, a small mining town in Canada. Nine people died, including the shooter.

OpenAI had banned the shooter from ChatGPT in June last year after he had troubling conversations with the chatbot. But the company didn't report him to Canadian police because it said it saw no evidence of an imminent attack. That decision drew intense criticism.

The new law would require AI chatbot companies to "mitigate the risk of the chatbot communicating harmful content." They'd also have to be transparent about "reporting thresholds in crisis situations" — like when a user threatens to harm themselves or someone else.

Canada isn't the first to move this way. Australia became the first country in the world in December to force TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other top sites to remove accounts of under-16s or face big fines. Indonesia started enforcing its own under-16 social media ban in March. Several European governments have also said they want similar rules.