Canada introduces Digital Safety Act: Social media ban for under-16s and AI rules

Harsh penalties for platforms

Companies that violate the rules face penalties of up to three percent of their global revenue. With this, Ottawa is reaching for a lever that strikes directly at the economic substance of large platforms. At the same time, the draft provides for an exemption possibility for companies that can prove their child-protection measures are sufficient. A newly created Digital Safety Commission is to monitor compliance with the requirements.

Canada is thus joining a growing list of states that restrict minors' access to social networks. In December, Australia became the first country in the world to put a social media ban for children and young people under 16 into force. Since then, several other countries have implemented similar bans or initiated parliamentary proceedings to do so, including Austria, which is planning a ban for under-14s. The Canadian move thus follows an international trend.

Canada follows an international trend

In addition to the age limit, the Digital Safety Act contains provisions for the handling of AI-generated content. Providers are to be required to label synthetically generated content in future. AI chatbot services are also to be required to more tightly limit the creation of harmful content. The government is responding to concerns that artificially generated media can distort perceptions of reality and public debate.

Miller described the protection of children online as a central task for policymakers. „Die Sicherheit von Kindern darf kein bloßer Nebengedanke sein", said the minister when presenting the draft. The federal government is thereby tying into a broad societal debate that has been underway in Canada for months over the role of large platforms and the influence of algorithmically driven content on minors.

Rules for AI content and chatbots

The bill also covers adult content platforms, which will in future have to meet new requirements for curbing harmful content. Which categories of harmful content are specifically affected is to be fleshed out in the coming parliamentary deliberations. Observers expect the definitions to be contested in committee, since both platform operators and civil rights organizations are pushing for clear delineations.

It remains unclear so far how the age limit is to be technically enforced. Mechanisms that can reliably determine the age of new users are envisaged. Canada is thereby following the Australian model, which likewise relies on age verification. The Australian implementation triggered practical debates over the protection of personal data, something that is also likely to play a role in Ottawa.

Open questions on age and data protection

Overall, the Canadian government is positioning itself with the Digital Safety Act as a frontrunner in regulating digital risks for minors. Should Parliament pass the bill in the form presented, Canada would be one of the first countries to bundle age limits, AI labeling, and platform liability in a single legislative package. The coming months will show how significantly the draft is changed in the parliamentary process.

The Digital Safety Act is part of a broader Canadian strategy on safety in the digital space. It already includes initiatives to combat online hate and strengthen media literacy. With the new legislative package, Ottawa wants to increase pressure on platforms to make their systems more child-friendly without losing sight of data protection.