The Canadian government has unveiled a proposal aimed at enhancing online safety for children by restricting social media access to users aged 16 and older. Introduced on Wednesday, the Safe Social Media Act would require age verification for platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. A newly established regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, would be responsible for enforcing these measures once the legislation passes both the House of Commons and the Senate.

According to Minister of Identity and Culture Marc Miller, the plan is designed to ensure children’s safety is prioritized, stating that basic protections “[can’t] be an afterthought” as young Canadians engage daily with social media platforms. The proposal envisions allowing minors to use platforms that meet specific safety standards, which would be determined and overseen by the Digital Safety Commission.

Canada is joining other countries, including Britain, Malaysia, France, Greece, and Spain, that have recently evaluated or implemented similar restrictions targeting risks such as mental health concerns, cyberbullying, and social media addiction among youth. Australia implemented comparable legislation in November 2024, requiring technology companies to block access for underage users on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. Australia reported that nearly five million underage accounts were disabled after the law took effect, with noncompliance subject to penalties up to $33 million.

However, the Canadian proposal faces criticism reminiscent of debates in other countries. Technology companies and civil rights advocates warn that compulsory identity verification may amount to government overreach and raise the risk of data breaches. The United States, home to many major social media firms, remains opposed to broad age verification laws relying on government IDs, favoring more narrowly targeted regulations related to explicit content and gambling instead.

Domestically, recent tech regulations in Canada have met with mixed responses. Earlier in 2024, the government’s Online Harms Act failed amid concerns over freedom of expression, though some components addressing sexually explicit content have been incorporated into the new bill. The government has also reconsidered policies requiring foreign streaming platforms to invest in Canadian content, fueling accusations that political considerations influenced regulatory decisions.

Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa professor specializing in technology law, described the age restrictions as a “Band-Aid solution” that might exclude young users rather than comprehensively improving digital platforms. From the industry perspective, Meta’s spokeswoman Julia Perreira acknowledged the importance of protecting youth but called bans on social media access “counterproductive” and cautioned against placing the burden of age verification solely on individual platforms. TikTok did not provide comment.

International data suggests mixed outcomes of such bans. A recent Australian report indicated that after the implementation of age restrictions, the proportion of children with their own social media accounts decreased from 50 percent to 31 percent. As Canada moves forward with the Safe Social Media Act, lawmakers and stakeholders will continue to weigh concerns about child protection, civil liberties, and the effectiveness of regulatory approaches in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.