Ottawa’s new Digital Safety Act expected to include under-16 social media ban

Federal ministers declined to give details about the bill Tuesday, saying they could not do so before the bill is introduced due to parliamentary rules.

The bill is expected to include a ban on social media for kids under 16, although platforms that meet safety standards could obtain exemptions, according to reports in The Globe and Mail and National Post.

Ottawa said in its AI strategy, released last week, that it will also introduce legislation to address the safety of AI chatbots.

The legislation comes as a number of other countries are planning to introduce similar bans for kids on social media, and as questions are asked about interactions the mass shooter in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. had with ChatGPT.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the government’s motivation is to “ensure that we are being responsible when it comes to protecting kids in particular.”

An online harms bill introduced by the Liberals in 2024 would have created a digital safety commission to administer and enforce the legislation. That bill did not become law before the 2025 election was called.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said the new online safety legislation is a priority for the government.

He said the new bill is more likely to succeed than the government’s earlier attempt because “there’s a great realization in society that there are negative effects from social media use, maybe particularly among our youth, and this bill, when it’s tabled, will seek to address that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Ottawa’s new Digital Safety Act expected to include under-16 social media ban

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