Canada sticks to youth social media ban plan despite Meta's US settlement

Canada is pressing ahead with its proposed legislation to ban social media access for users under 16, even after Meta Platforms reached a significant settlement in the United States. Meta agreed to pay up to US$17.1 billion to a coalition of U.S. states, addressing accusations that the company fostered addiction among young people, misled consumers about safety, and mishandled user data.

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The Government of Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to Bill C-34.

As part of the U.S. settlement, Meta will implement new rules for its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. These changes include strengthening age verification to prevent children under 13 from accessing its services, limiting daily usage to two hours for users under 18, and restricting access from midnight to 6 a.m. for minors. Like counts will also be hidden. However, these safeguards will only apply within the U.S. and are set to remain in place for a decade.

Despite the U.S. settlement, the Canadian government has affirmed its commitment to Bill C-34, known as the Safe Social Media Act. Introduced in June, the bill proposes a ban on social media for Canadians under the age of 16. A spokesperson for Canadian Heritage stated that the government expects platforms to act responsibly and proactively ensure their products are safe by design for all users, especially children.

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As the bill continues through the legislative process, we expect platforms to act responsibly and proactively take concrete steps to ensure their products are safe by design, for children and for all users.

The Safe Social Media Act intends to establish a "duty to protect children" for all online platforms. This would mandate age-appropriate designs, content warning labels, safe search settings for children, and measures to combat addictive behaviors like endless scrolling. Social media companies would also be required to label bot-driven harmful content and "deepfakes." The legislation proposes a new digital safety commission to enforce these rules and offer exemptions to platforms that comply.

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The government is committed to acting as quickly as possible to better protect our children.