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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Canada proposes ban on social media for children under 16

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Canada has proposed a new bill, the Safe Social Media Act, aiming to ban social media accounts for children under 16.
  • The proposed legislation also mandates social media platforms and AI chatbot services to implement stronger child protection measures.
  • If passed, Canada would join countries like Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia in enacting regulations to limit minors' access to social media.

Canada is moving to restrict children's access to social media with a proposed bill that would prohibit individuals under the age of 16 from creating accounts. The legislation, dubbed the Safe Social Media Act, also introduces new requirements for social media platforms and AI-based chatbot services to enhance the safety of young users.

Canadian Minister of Identity and Culture, Marc Miller, introduced the bill, which, if enacted, would align Canada with nations such as Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia in regulating children's social media usage. Under the proposed law, social media companies would be obligated to develop safer products for minors. Key provisions include the removal of deepfake content, protection against sexual violence, and measures to prevent the re-victimization of survivors.

Furthermore, the act requires platforms to label AI-generated content, establish clear reporting mechanisms for harmful material, and implement user-blocking features to mitigate exposure to risky content. Notably, while social media access would be restricted by age, AI chatbot services would not face the same age limitations. Miller explained that the impact of AI chatbots is less understood compared to the well-documented harms associated with social media platforms.

However, the Safe Social Media Act does include specific provisions for AI chatbot services, reportedly in response to incidents like the Tumbler Ridge shooting case and OpenAI's handling of it. These provisions aim to reduce the risk of chatbots spreading harmful content and prevent user endangerment. Service providers would also be required to prepare emergency response measures. The Digital Safety Commission of Canada will be responsible for enforcing these regulations and determining further details, including potential exceptions for platforms demonstrating adequate child protection.

Chatbots are not as well-studied as the harm caused by social media platforms. They don't have the same social role.

— Marc MillerExplaining the rationale for different age restrictions for social media and AI chatbots.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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