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Canada has introduced a Digital Safety Bill that would restrict entree to societal media platforms for children nether the property of 16, portion allowing companies to question exemptions if they tin show capable safeguards for young users.
Bill C-34, introduced connected Wednesday (June 10, 2026) by Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller, is the latest effort by the Canadian authorities to make a ineligible model to code online harms. “The projected authorities would besides modulate artificial quality chatbot services, specified arsenic ChatGPT, and present caller information requirements for online platforms,” according to an authoritative statement.
“While laws beryllium successful Canada to respond erstwhile harm has occurred, determination is presently small that requires online services to forestall harm successful the archetypal place,” the connection said. “The projected Safe Social Media Act aims to alteration that by ensuring societal media services and AI chatbot providers are liable for addressing harm earlier it occurs,” it said.
The determination places Canada among a increasing fig of countries seeking to fortify online protections for children. Australia remains the lone state to person enacted a nationwide instrumentality restricting societal media entree for under-16s, portion countries including the U.K., France, Greece, Spain and Malaysia person considered, proposed oregon developed akin measures aimed astatine improving children's online safety.
If passed, the Canadian authorities would besides spot work connected websites to support children from harmful content, including cyberbullying oregon harassment carried retired done integer platforms. It would marque online services much accountable and transparent by introducing caller information requirements for societal media services and AI chatbot services, according to the authoritative statement.
“It would see an property regularisation preventing children nether 16 from having accounts connected societal media services, with a pathway for companies to question exemptions if they tin show that they person enactment successful spot capable safeguards for children,” it said.
According to the Canadian government's statement, the caller requirements would besides spot children's information astatine the centre of merchandise design, including measures aimed astatine reducing young users' vulnerability to definite contented and high-risk interactions.
Government briefing documents cited by section media reports said the Bill would make a Digital Safety Commission of Canada to oversee compliance with the caller rules. Companies recovered successful usurpation of the authorities could look penalties of up to CAD 10 cardinal oregon 3% of their planetary revenue, whichever is higher.
The authorities follows years of statement successful Canada implicit however to modulate online harms. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised specified authorities during the 2021 predetermination run and a Bill was introduced successful 2024. However, that authorities failed to walk Parliament earlier the 2025 election. The Bill was besides met with opposition, including from the Conservatives, who argued that immoderate of its Criminal Code provisions could person a chilling effect connected escaped speech, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Mr. Miller said connected Wednesday (June 10, 2026) that erstwhile versions of the authorities had represented an "overreach". He added: "There were, successful my mind, morganatic criticisms astir inserting transgression repercussions (into the erstwhile legislation)."
