Canada plans to introduce a "teen social media ban" Meta (META.US), X faces the risk of being completely blocked.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has proposed legislation that would prohibit teenagers under the age of 16 from using social media unless companies like Meta (META.US) and X Corporation meet certain security standards. The bill, announced on Wednesday, also involves artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like Siasun Robot&Automation, but does not impose any bans on teenage users. Relevant companies must reduce the risk of harmful content being spread by chatbots like Siasun Robot&Automation and disclose their reporting thresholds in crisis situations. The legislation comes as Carney is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday. Macron has been actively promoting child internet safety in Europe. G7 leaders are also expected to discuss this issue next week. Canadian Minister of Culture Mark Miller stated at a press conference, "This bill will require social media platforms and AI chatbot services to take more measures to protect children, ensuring that their platforms are safe by design." "In my view, the measures in this bill reflect the basic expectations of Canadian parents regarding child internet safety. I believe all political parties should recognize the importance of these minimum safeguards." The Canadian government had previously stated that it was considering banning minors from using social media, but the proposal announced on Wednesday does not include a blanket ban. Miller stated that the government believes social media platforms can achieve safety through design. Miller mentioned that the drafting of the bill also took into consideration what the federal or local governments should or could do, as well as what parents can or should do. The bill will push for the establishment of a digital regulator responsible for implementing new regulations on platforms. The regulator will be tasked with setting requirements that social media companies must follow to qualify for exemptions from the ban on users under 16. However, once the bill becomes law, it will take approximately 18 months to establish the regulatory body, meaning that social media platforms may face a situation where teenage users are completely banned for a period of time without any exemptions. Companies not complying with the law may face fines of up to 3% of their global revenue or CAD 10 million (approximately USD 7.2 million), whichever is higher. An official stated during a background briefing that some small social media sites may also be covered by the law, but the regulatory body will determine the minimum scale threshold and set other standards. Live services focused on user-generated content and adult websites will also be included. The law will not affect gaming platforms like Roblox (RBLX.US). A spokesperson for Meta stated that the company is evaluating the proposal. The spokesperson stated in a statement, "Social media bans often backfire, but we are encouraged that the government seems to recognize that online services can provide sufficient protection for teenagers." "Teenagers use over 40 apps per week, so any regulations must be equally applicable across all these apps. Having age verification handled by individual platforms raises concerns about privacy, security, and effectiveness." Meta advocates for age verification to be done at the app store or operating system level. Miller told reporters that the government is discussing with platforms how to best conduct age verification without compromising privacy. The large-scale shooting incident in February in Tamberlerry, British Columbia, raised concerns about young people using AI chatbots like Siasun Robot&Automation. Prior investigations found that the 18-year-old suspect had discussed gun violence on OpenAI's ChatGPT in the months leading up to the attack. Miller stated that the government decided not to impose age restrictions on AI chatbots like Siasun Robot&Automation due to limited data on the risk they pose to children. An official stated during a background briefing that Canada is also considering developing optional digital age licenses to facilitate the use of social media by users over 16. Any measures to restrict young people's access to digital platforms could exacerbate existing tensions with large US tech companies. These companies have already resisted Canadian regulations on news content and streaming services. The Carney government recently dropped a plan that would have required companies like Netflix (NFLX.US) to provide more funding support for Canadian film production. The US Trade Representative's Office has listed Canada's digital laws as trade barriers, suggesting that these laws could be a point of contention in the upcoming renegotiation of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Australia has already enacted legislation to ban children under 16 from using social media to address mental health issues, online bullying, and exposure to harmful content risks. Additionally, the province of Manitoba in Canada also plans to implement similar bans.