AIToday

Canada proposes banning social media for children under 16 and creating new AI safety rules, following Australia's lead on youth protection.

Japan Times TechJun 11, 2026Send on LINE
Canada proposes banning social media for children under 16 and creating new AI safety rules, following Australia's lead on youth protection.

Summaries like this, in your inbox every morning.

Sign up free →

3 Key Points

  • What happened

    The Canadian government introduced a digital safety bill Wednesday that would ban social media for children under 16, with exemptions available for platforms meeting certain safety standards. The bill also establishes a digital regulator to set safety standards for AI chatbots. Companies that fail to comply face penalties of 3% of global revenue or up to 10 million Canadian dollars ($7.2 million(約12億円)), whichever is more.

  • Why it matters

    Government officials say social media and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention and do not support healthy childhood development; the minister cited anxiety, isolation, depression, and other mental health challenges among young Canadians as drivers for the policy. This move reflects growing international concern about digital safety for children, months after Australia enacted the world's first social media ban for young people.

  • What to watch

    The bill contains exemptions for platforms that meet safety standards, meaning not all social media will be banned—the question is which platforms will qualify and how the digital regulator will define and enforce those standards.

Get AI news like this every morning

AI-summarized, only the topics you pick — one digest a day via Email, Slack, or Discord.

Free · takes 30 seconds · unsubscribe anytime

Discussion

No discussion yet for this article

Stay ahead with AI news

Get curated AI news from 200+ sources delivered daily to your inbox. Free to use.

Get Started Free

Free · takes 30 seconds · unsubscribe anytime