Canada moves to ban social media accounts children under 16
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Canada has introduced legislation that could prohibit children under 16 from having social media accounts unless platforms demonstrate they can ensure user safety, joining a global trend to enhance child protection online.
- The law targets seven types of harmful content, including self-harm inducement, violence incitement, hatred, and non-consensual intimate images, and will establish a new Digital Safety Commission to oversee enforcement and exemptions.
- Social media platforms must prove their safety measures and implement age verification; those offering adult content will not qualify for exemptions under the new rules.
- The legislation also extends to companies behind AI chatbots, requiring responsible conduct and crisis intervention protocols.
- The Canadian government plans to learn from Australia's experience, where a similar under-16 ban led to revocation of millions of child accounts, amid ongoing debates about privacy, mental health, and technology use.