Poll: child social media ban
Castanet – Jun 13, 2026 / 7:30 am | Story: 619406
Photo: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller is seen during a news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
The Liberal government’s new online safety legislation would force social media to block access for kids under 16, though platforms will be able to obtain an exemption if they put sufficient safeguards in place.
Bill C-34, introduced Wednesday in the House of Commons, would also regulate the companies behind AI chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act responsibly. That includes measures to lower the risk of chatbots communicating harmful content and putting in place crisis intervention protocols for cases involving self-harm, suicide or violence.
“The measures in this bill represent, in my view, the basic expectation that parents and Canadians (have) for keeping their kids safe online. I believe all parties should agree on the importance of these minimum safeguards,” Culture Minister Marc Miller said.
He made the comments at a press conference in Ottawa, alongside a Toronto pediatrician and a representative for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. Child advocates and medical professionals praised the bill Wednesday evening, while large tech companies said they were assessing the legislation.
The bill doesn’t prescribe a specific method to verify age. In response to a question about what methods the government is looking at, Miller said there will “be a back and forth with platforms as to what protects people’s privacy and what is adequate and sufficient in the circumstances.”
Miller acknowledged there are people who want the government to implement a full social media ban for kids, and that “there is a part of my brain that agrees with it.”
But he said there are ways social media platforms and chatbots can be made safe.
He told reporters the government decided not to block kids from using chatbots because chatbots are different from social media.
“They play a function and a role that can be very damaging towards kids, but can also play an important function in the educational system and in the AI strategy that we are putting forward,” Miller said. He added that “we are going to have keep a close eye on it.”
The bill will include adult content services that focus on user-shared content. The government did not give examples or specify whether they will cover sites such as OnlyFans and Pornhub.
Platforms that offer adult content would not be able to obtain an exemption from age restriction.
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