Ottawa introduces bill to ban children from using social media and AI chatbots

The federal government has introduced legislation that would impose new safety requirements on social media platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots, including a proposed ban on social media accounts for children under the age of 16.

The proposed legislation, known as Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, was introduced Thursday by Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller.

The government says the bill is designed to address growing concerns about online harms affecting children, including cyberbullying, child sexual exploitation, self-harm and mental health challenges.

Under the proposed law, social media companies and certain AI chatbot services would be required to take proactive steps to identify and reduce risks before harm occurs, rather than simply responding after incidents have taken place.

A key provision of the bill would prohibit children younger than 16 from holding social media accounts. However, platforms could apply for exemptions if they can demonstrate they have sufficient safeguards in place to protect young users.

The legislation would also require online services to prioritize children's safety when designing products and features. Companies would be expected to assess, mitigate and address risks associated with their platforms.

The bill would establish a new Digital Safety Act covering social media services, user-uploaded livestreaming services, adult content platforms and certain AI chatbot services.

All regulated services would be subject to a "Duty to Protect Children."

Social media platforms would face additional obligations, including a "Duty to Act Responsibly," requiring them to assess and mitigate risks related to seven categories of harmful content, label synthetically generated content and provide users with accessible tools to report harmful material and block other users.

They would also be subject to a "Duty to Make Certain Content Inaccessible," requiring the rapid removal of content that sexually victimizes children, revictimizes survivors or distributes intimate images without consent, including sexually explicit deepfakes.

AI chatbot services would be required to reduce the risk of generating harmful content, establish transparency around reporting thresholds during crisis situations and take steps to prevent harmful behaviour by chatbot systems.

The legislation would also create an independent Digital Safety Commission responsible for enforcing regulations, monitoring compliance and supporting victims of online harms.