Canada is drafting a new digital safety bill that could significantly change the rules for social media, online platforms, and services used by children and teenagers.
This involves an initiative called the Digital Safety Act, as well as the creation of the Digital Safety Commission of Canada. An official notice of intent to introduce such a bill appeared on the agenda of the Canadian House of Commons.
Source: https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/45-1/house/sitting-132/order-notice/page-11
According to Canadian media reports, the new bill may include restrictions on access to social media for children under 16 years of age. At the same time, it is important to note that the final details will only become clear after the bill is officially introduced and the full text is published. Until then, government ministers have not disclosed all provisions, citing parliamentary rules.
Mark Miller, Canada’s Minister of Identity and Culture, who is overseeing this bill, stated that the government intends to take reasonable measures to protect children in the online space. The issue of child safety online in Canada has been discussed for years, but it has now returned to the forefront due to concerns about the impact of social media, online content, and new digital services on minors.
What Might Change
If the proposed rules do indeed include restrictions for children under 16, this could mark one of the biggest shifts in Canada’s approach to social media. But for now, there is no talk of automatically “shutting down the internet” for children tomorrow. Most likely, the focus will be on regulating access to specific social media platforms, rather than a complete ban on internet use.
According to Canadian Press, the bill may allow for exceptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards. In other words, the government may not simply impose a blanket ban, but rather create a system where online platforms must prove that they adequately protect underage users.
This is an important detail, as the issue of age restrictions on social media is very complex. On the one hand, many parents and experts speak of the need to better protect children from harmful content, online bullying, aggressive algorithms, and harmful digital practices. On the other hand, questions arise regarding privacy, freedom of access to information, technical age verification, and who exactly should be responsible for oversight—the state, the platforms, or parents.
Canada’s Previous Attempt to Pass an Online Harms Law
Canada’s previous attempt to pass an online harms law was in 2024. At that time, the government introduced Bill C-63, which was intended to create the Online Harms Act. This bill would have imposed new obligations on social media platforms and established a Digital Safety Commission, a Digital Safety Ombudsperson, and a Digital Safety Office. However, Bill C-63 did not become law because Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 2025 election.
The new Digital Safety Act is effectively the government’s next attempt to revisit the issue of online safety. According to preliminary reports, it may focus more specifically on protecting children and adolescents, rather than on broader regulation of all online content.
What this means for parents and platforms
For parents in Canada, this issue will be very important. If the law is passed, rules regarding children’s registration on social media, age verification, platform liability, and access to certain services may change. New requirements for companies regarding safe design, algorithm transparency, personal data protection, and faster responses to harmful content may also emerge.
For the platforms themselves, this could mean significant new obligations. Social media platforms, video platforms, user-generated content services, and possibly some AI services may face requirements regarding age verification, security settings, reporting, and the protection of minors. If companies fail to comply with the rules, the new Digital Safety Commission may be granted the authority to monitor them and impose sanctions.