Ottawa Tables Legislation to Restrict Children’s Access to Social Media and Regulate AI Chatbots
Canada’s federal government has introduced legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, placing Ottawa among a growing number of governments seeking to impose statutory limits on minors’ use of online services.
The proposed Digital Safety Act, known as Bill C-34, would also establish a dedicated digital regulator empowered to set safety standards for AI chatbot services, according to a government official.
Penalties and Compliance
Companies that fail to comply with the legislation would face financial penalties of 3% of global revenue or up to C$10 million ($7.2 million), whichever is the greater sum — a structure designed to ensure meaningful consequences for large multinational platforms.
Exemptions would be available to platforms that meet specified safety standards, providing an incentive for companies to adopt compliant design practices rather than simply withdrawing from the Canadian market.
The Case for Intervention
Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, argued that existing platform designs are inherently unsuited to younger users. “Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy childhood development and have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians,” he said.
The government’s proposal identifies specific design features — including algorithmic recommendation systems, engagement-based feeds, autoplay, and endless scrolling — as mechanisms that amplify harmful content, particularly for younger audiences.
Key Requirements Under the Bill
Beyond the age restriction, the legislation would impose a range of obligations on social media and AI chatbot services:
International Context
Canada’s move follows Australia, which in December became the first country in the world to enact a statutory ban on social media for under-16s. Within a month of that law coming into force, social media companies collectively deactivated the accounts of nearly 5 million teenagers.
Elsewhere, France, Denmark, and Poland are considering tightening restrictions on children’s social media use, while Greece announced in April that it would ban access for those under 15 from January 2027.
Timeline and Legislative Outlook
Government officials cautioned that the bill could take up to a year to pass through Parliament, with a further 18 months required to establish the new digital regulator once legislation is enacted — meaning meaningful enforcement remains some years away.
The bill’s introduction also comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by families affected by one of Canada’s worst mass shootings against OpenAI. The plaintiffs allege the company failed to alert police after banning the perpetrator from its ChatGPT platform in June of last year, having identified troubling conversations prior to the attack.