Online harms bill to include social media ban for children under 16: source

The federal government plans to propose a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16 as part of its highly anticipated online harms bill that will be introduced Wednesday, Global News has learned.

A government source confirmed the plans Monday ahead of the bill’s formal introduction. The source requested anonymity to publicly discuss the bill.

The Globe and Mail first reported on the forthcoming online harms bill earlier Monday.

The proposed social media ban for youth under 16 would follow action first taken in Australia, where the measure took effect last December.

Research suggests many Australian teens are evading the ban, however, while the country’s online safety watchdog said in March that social media companies were not fully complying.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom, are considering their own youth social media bans.

The Liberal Party convention in April adopted a motion from membership for pursuing a youth social media ban, an idea that polling suggests a majority of Canadians support.

The adoption of the motion prompted Culture Minister Marc Miller, who is set to introduce the bill Wednesday, to say the government was “very seriously” considering a ban.

In April, Manitoba became the first province to announce it would move to enact a social media ban for kids. Other provinces, including Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick, have said they are considering doing the same.

Experts have told Global News that enforcing such a ban would be difficult and have questioned the effectiveness of the measure on children’s online literacy and safety.

Advocates, meanwhile, have said a ban would improve children’s mental and physical health while curbing growing online addiction among young people.

—With files from Global’s Bryan Mullan