Nykole King
Regina Leader-Post
Premier Scott Moe says his government plans on asking Saskatchewan residents to weigh in on whether youth should be restricted from social media platforms.
A mailed questionnaire will be sent to each household in the province, Moe said Thursday, so his government can better represent those views federally.
“I don’t know what the congruent view or the reflective view of Saskatchewan parents would be across the province,” he told reporters after question period at the legislature. “And so we’re going to embark on a mailout essentially to Saskatchewan families, and we’re going to ask their opinions.”
Moe didn’t specify when the provincial-wide poll would be sent out. However, he did say the collected feedback would be brought to the federal government for consideration.
The consultation was prompted a few weeks ago after the provincial government heard that Prime Minister Mark Carney was considering such a ban.
The governing Liberal Party of Canada passed a resolution at its recent convention that supports an age restriction on access to social media for anyone under 16, similar to what Australia has in place. Political parties hold resolution votes with their members to flag priority policies which elected officials can then push forward in government by introducing bills that are debated and voted on in the House of Commons.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller confirmed that the federal government is “very seriously” looking into social media restrictions for kids.
Miller, who is tasked with overseeing the project, says the ban would be only one aspect considered for online safety of children.
“It’s clear that a ban or a moratorium on social media by kids, who we do need to protect, can be an important element, but it can’t be the only one,” Miller said.
When asked about the feds potentially moving to legislate online activity for youth, Moe said: “We feel that if there is going to be any action in this space, it should be national action done by the federal government.”
The Saskatchewan government previously championed parents’ rights with a bill that requires parental or guardian consent before school staff can address students under age 16 by preferred gender-related names or pronouns.
That law, which was passed in October 2023, has been criticized for its impact on transgender and nonbinary youth.
The mailout, according to Moe, will have a list of questions asking whether individuals support a social media ban or believe it should be at the discretion of parents. It’s also expected to present more detailed questions on which platforms should be included.
Moe previously mentioned the prospect of seeking public views on this topic with a post to X and Facebook on March 30. It followed an Angus Reid poll where 75 per cent of people from a randomized sample of 4,005 adults in Canada responded that they support a “full ban” for kids under 16.
“I just don’t know — as a government that’s trying to represent Saskatchewan families — exactly what our communication would be today,” Moe added. “(It would) be nothing more than a guess as to what Saskatchewan families are thinking.”
— with files from Brandon Harder of the Regina Leader-Post and Stephanie Taylor of the National Post.
