Canada introduces social media ban for under-16s and AI chatbot regulation after school shooting

Canada's move to rein in AI chatbots, spurred by school shooting, faces doubts over loopholes

OTTAWA, June 12 (Reuters) - Canadian legislation to regulate AI chatbots, introduced this week after national outrage over a school shooting that left nine people dead, has raised doubts among academics and legal experts who warn that loopholes and its lengthy time frame may undermine the effort. Public pressure mounted on the government for action after OpenAI acknowledged it had not reported to police troubling ChatGPT messages from the suspect in the February incident. The bill proposes a new digital regulator and would follow Australia in banning social media for children under 16. The new agency would require chatbots to reduce the risk of users seeking harmful content and include crisis intervention steps if they discuss issues such as suicide and self-harm. But the legislation has drawn criticism for its lack of detail, the difficulties of avoiding loopholes while preserving privacy, and the long time frame for putting measures in place. "If this is the preview of a ⁠law, I do not have high hopes for something that will be useful in a practical sense," said Evan Light, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who focuses on technology and privacy. He said he was shocked at how underdeveloped the bill was, adding that restrictions on Internet use could easily be circumvented with VPNs - virtual private networks that mask users' Internet addresses - or other means. The office of Canada's Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the issue. In a news conference announcing the bill on Wednesday, Miller said there was a need to balance privacy concerns with efforts to regulate social media and AI chatbot use, and noted the proposed law does not apply to private messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal. He also said companies that meet criteria set by the new regulator would be able to get an exemption from the social media ban. He said Canada had witnessed the tragic consequences of online harm, citing the shooting at Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia. The 18-year-old suspect's account ⁠on OpenAI's ChatGPT had been flagged for violence internally, but was never reported to police. Miller said the company "made an egregious human error" and the government was now taking steps to make social media and AI chatbots "safer by design." OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. The company previously apologized for not alerting Canadian authorities. A growing list of governments across Europe, in Brazil and in a handful of U.S. states are pushing ahead with new age-checking requirements for social networks, AI chatbots and porn purveyors alike. A Meta spokesperson said in an email that social media bans are "counterproductive" ⁠and that the company is assessing the implications of the proposed bill. A spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube, said the company is committed to working with the government to establish higher safety standards, so parents can choose safer online experiences for their children. A TikTok spokesperson said the platform already has more than 50 safety and privacy settings and parents can use "Family Pairing" to manage their ⁠teens' experience. Government officials have said it could take a year for the bill to pass and 18 months to set up the digital regulator once it does. Florian Martin-Bariteau, director of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society at the University of Ottawa, warned that children would likely be able to circumvent the social media ban and AI chatbot restrictions. Since ⁠Australia's social media ban took effect, the regulatory agency enforcing it reported that a substantial number of children under 16 still retain accounts. "The proposed framework will move them to riskier, smaller platforms," he said, adding that while rules for major platforms could likely be enforced, it would be virtually impossible for Canada to block smaller websites that don't comply. "By trying to protect kids, we may actually put them at greater risk." Reporting by Maria Cheng; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Edmund Klamann Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Canada announces bill banning social media for anyone under 16 - Engadget

The regulation also imposes new safety expectations on 'AI chatbot services.' Canada is joining Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia, in banning teenagers from using social media. The Safe Social Media Act introduced by Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, bans children under the age of 16 from having a social media account and introduces new regulatory expectations for social media services and AI platforms. Under the legislation, social media services are required to design their products to be safer for children. Platforms will also be expected to remove deepfakes and content that "sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor." The introduction of things like labels for AI content, clear methods for reporting harmful material and tools for blocking users will also be expected to prevent further exposure to harmful content. While social media is age-gated by the bill, AI chatbot services won't be. "Chatbots are not as well-studied as the harm caused by social media platforms," Miller said during the press conference announcing the bill. "They don't have the same social role." With that said, the Safe Social Media Act also includes language around "AI chatbot services," seemingly in response to OpenAI's handling of the Tumbler Ridge shooting. As part of the bill, AI platforms are expected to mitigate the risk of chatbots "communicating harmful content" and engaging in harmful behavior, while also introducing "emergency measures" for dealing with crisis situations. The details of what platforms are expected to provide beyond the 16-year-old age requirement will be set by the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, according to Miller, a newly formed commission created by a separate Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act. The commission will enforce regulations and also be capable of granting exemptions if they believe a platform maintains "sufficient safeguards" for children.

Canada proposes teen social media ban - with workaround for tech firms

Canada is proposing a social media ban for children and teenagers under the age of 16, mirroring a similar law passed in Australia late last year. But unlike Australia's law, tech firms could sidestep Canada's ban if they demonstrate they have policies to minimise harm to minors. The law includes sweeping measures to regulate AI chatbots and curtail "harmful content" online. It would create a regulator to ensure tech firms comply. Some free speech groups have warned it would expand censorship. It comes amid calls from parents and advocates to bolster children's safety online and as other countries - including the UK - eye similar bans. The law is being proposed ahead of the upcoming G7 summit in France next week, where world leaders are expected to discuss and issue statements on AI and protecting children from online harm. Canada's proposed law - the Safe Social Media Act - was put forward in the House of Commons on Wednesday by Culture Minister Marc Miller. Earlier in the week, Miller said passing a law that addresses online harms was a priority for the Canadian government because "kids are dying". "Suffice to say, we will take all reasonable measures to make sure kids are safe in this country," he told reporters. Pressure has been mounting on Canada to pass legislation on online safety after the previous Liberal government failed twice to implement one. Other countries have already enacted similar laws, including the UK with its Online Safety Act, as well as France and New Zealand. AI safety has been at the forefront in Canada after a deadly February mass school shooting in British Columbia, where the 18-year-old suspect was revealed to have used ChatGPT to discuss gun violence months before the attack. Eight people, including six young children, were killed. OpenAI has since come under fire for failing to report the suspect's account to police, prompting a written apology to the victims' families by CEO Sam Altman. There is no broad consensus, however, on whether Canada should pass legislation on online harms. Some free speech groups have argued the issue should be addressed within existing laws under Canada's criminal code. The text of the newly proposed Bill C-34 lists seven categories of "harmful content", which includes material bullying a child, or that foments hatred, or incites violence. The BBC contacted the Canadian justice and culture ministries seeking futher information on these criteria, but did not receive an immediate reply. The maximum penalty for a violation is the greater of $10m ($7m; £5m), or 3% of gross global revenue. The government says the law would create a new independent regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada. Its members would be appointed by cabinet, according to briefing documents. Social media bans for teenagers are being considered by other countries, including the UK, with an announcement expected next week on a ban for those under the age of 16. In Greece, a ban for children under the age of 15 is set to take effect in January. Six months ago, Australia became the first country to ban access to social media for young teenagers and children, though it has since been criticised for not being effective. The law bars those under 16 from creating a new account on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. It also deactivated existing ones. Social media companies face fines of up to A$49.5m (US$32m, £25m) for serious or repeat breaches. The law mandates that firms take "reasonable steps" to keep kids off their platforms, and should use multiple age assurance technologies like IDs, face or voice recognition. But in a recent survey of parents by the Australian government, around 70% said their children were still on social media. Many also said their children were not asked by platforms to verify their age after the law was enacted. The Australian government has said it has opened five investigations into alleged non-compliance, including by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. Sara Austin, whose organisation Children First Canada has long advocated for an online harms law, said Canada's decision to include an exemption clause could be a positive as it offers an incentive for firms to enact better safety policies overall. This, she said, "will not only benefit children, but will also benefit all Canadians" using these platforms. Austin added that while Canada has lagged behind its peers on addressing online safety, she hopes the proposed law is an opportunity to set a precedent ahead of the G7 summit.

Canada's social media ban also takes aim at AI chatbots

The Digital Safety Act would go further than Australia's ban, regulating chatbots and platform design, not just access. But Australia's struggle to enforce its own version shows the hard part comes later. Canada has introduced a bill that would bar under-16s from social media and, in a twist that sets it apart from other countries, regulate AI chatbots in the same sweep. The Digital Safety Act, tabled on Wednesday, is the latest move in a global wave of governments cracking down on platforms over harm to children. Canada's version is broader than most. It is not a blanket ban. Platforms can apply for an exemption if they prove they meet strong safety standards, an approach designed to push companies to redesign their services rather than simply lock children out. 'The safety of children cannot be an afterthought,' said Marc Miller, the minister of Canadian identity and culture, who is steering the bill for Mark Carney's government. Chatbots in the crosshairs The bill's most novel feature is that it treats AI chatbots as a child-safety problem in their own right. It would create a digital regulator to set safety standards for both social media and chatbot services. Platforms would have to identify risks, build in age-appropriate design, and offer blocking and flagging tools, some of which they have started adding on their own, such as Meta's global teen-account settings. The bill takes specific aim at the engagement machinery, algorithmic feeds, autoplay and endless scrolling, that the government says amplifies harm. The chatbot focus is not abstract in Canada. The bill arrives weeks after families affected by one of the country's worst mass shootings sued OpenAI, alleging the company knew from the attacker's ChatGPT conversations that he was planning violence and failed to alert police. OpenAI has not been found liable, and the claims are unproven. Non-compliance would be costly: up to 3 per cent of global revenue or C$10m, whichever is greater. Platforms would also have to remove non-consensual intimate images within 24 hours of a report. Following Australia, but further Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from social media in December, deactivating some 5 million teen accounts. Canada is explicitly trying to go further, regulating design and chatbots, not just access. The catch is enforcement. Australia's own regulator found that, despite the mass deactivations, about seven in ten children kept an account anyway, a reminder that writing the law is the easy part. Canada's bill, C-34, has a long road ahead. Officials say it could take a year to pass and another 18 months to stand up the regulator. France, Denmark, Poland and Greece are weighing similar limits, so the outcome will be watched well beyond Ottawa.

Canada introduces legislation to ban social media for children under 16

OTTAWA, June 10 (Reuters) - The Canadian government introduced a new digital safety bill on Wednesday that would ban social media for children under 16 with exemptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards, months after Australia enacted the world's first social media ban for young people. The bill also aims to make AI chatbots safer by setting up a digital regulator to establish ⁠safety standards, a government official said. Its introduction in Parliament comes weeks after families affected by one of the country's worst mass shootings sued OpenAI, alleging that the company knew the alleged killer was planning the attack on ChatGPT but did not warn police. In December, Australia became the world's first country to ban social media for children under 16. A month after its ⁠law was introduced, social media companies collectively deactivated the accounts of nearly 5 million teenagers. France, Denmark and Poland are also considering tightening rules around social media use for children, while Greece in April announced ⁠it would ban access to those under the age of 15 from January 2027. Government officials in a technical briefing said it could take ⁠a year for the bill to pass and 18 months to set up the digital regulator once it does. Prime ⁠Minister Mark Carney has a slim majority in Parliament, which is due to break for summer recess soon. Reporting by Maria Cheng; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Mark Porter Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Canada to ban social media for kids under 16

Canada is set to ban social media for children under 16, in a move similar to Australia's historic law. Announced by the Canadian government on Wednesday, the proposed Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34) aims to reduce online harms to children and hold social media and AI chatbot companies responsible for addressing such harms, citing child sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, self-harm, and the impact on mental health. The proposed law will see the Canadian government restricting users under 16 from holding social media accounts. This also means age verification for online services, and legally mandated safety requirements for social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, and companies with AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. "We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have. As technologies evolve, we must ensure our laws keep pace, because parents cannot face these challenges alone," reads a statement by Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, who introduced the bill. "The safety of children cannot be an afterthought. This legislation will introduce stronger responsibilities for online platforms to ensure their services are safe by design and include appropriate measures to keep children safe." The bill comes months after Australia made history last year with its unprecedented Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, which banned social media for kids under 16. Notably, Australian kids have found ways around it. In 2026, Brazil, Austria, and Indonesia have followed suit, with governments in the UK, France, Thailand, Spain, and more countries looking into their own initiatives. Canada's proposed Safe Social Media Act will install a new digital safety commission that will require online services to "identify, mitigate and address the risks" on their platforms. They will also be required to take measures "to reduce children's exposure to certain content and high-risk interactions," covering seven categories of "harmful content" identified as "content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, intimate content communicated without consent, content that induces a child to self-harm, content used to bully a child, content that foments hatred, content that incites violence, and terrorism or violent extremism content." Social media companies will also be required by law to adequately label AI-generated content, "be transparent in terms of their reporting thresholds in crisis situations," and AI chatbot services will be required to "mitigate the risk of the chatbot communicating harmful content" or the risk of it "engag[ing] in harmful behaviour." Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi, president of the Canadian Medical Association, supported the bill in a press statement, saying, "Time's up. It's unacceptable for foreign-owned platforms to continue to get rich at the expense of our children's mental health, privacy and personal safety. This legislation makes Canada a global leader in digital safety and ensures Canadians, especially young people, are protected online and out of harm's way." The Canadian Centre for Child Protection also publicly backed the bill. "For over 20 years, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has documented a steep and accelerating rise in online harms against children, including child sexual abuse and exploitation," said with executive director Lianna McDonald in a statement. "The tabling of the Digital Safety Act is a historic day that could turn the tide on this trajectory." However, Canada's Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms noted Bill C-63 "goes far beyond targeting criminal conduct," and would "undermine freedom of expression, due process, and the rule of law in Canada." "The Online Harms Act would dramatically expand government censorship powers, punish lawful expression online, and authorize preemptive restrictions on individual liberty," reads their statement. "In doing so, it would represent a fundamental departure from Canada's long-standing commitment to freedom of expression and due process. Under Bill C-63, lawful speech could be subject to investigation, penalties, or removal based on vague and subjective standards. Individuals could face severe consequences not for committing crimes, but for expressing opinions that are later deemed unacceptable." Notably, Canada's Safe Social Media Act will inside a larger legislative framework called the Digital Safety Act. This law will also cover "user-uploaded livestreaming and adult content services." This means minimum-age restrictions not only for social media services but also "for accessing pornographic content on regulated services." The growing trend of age-verification bills, which require individuals to prove their age to access not only adult content but social media sites, has ramped over the last few years. That's despite, as Mashable's Anna Iovine has long reported, experts warning these bills pose threats to digital privacy and free speech.

Canada moves to ban under-16s from social media, regulate AI

Montreal (Canada) (AFP) - Canada's culture minister on Wednesday introduced legislation that would ban children under 16 from having social media accounts and require AI chatbot services to limit production of harmful content. The proposed Digital Safety Act makes Canada the latest in a wave of countries cracking down on social media platforms over concerns of harm to children. "We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have...The safety of children cannot be an afterthought," said Culture Minister Marc Miller in a statement announcing the proposal. The legislation would ban social media accounts for children under 16 years old, the statement said, adding that there be an exemption "pathway" for companies if they can demonstrate "sufficient safeguards" for children. Social media services, including adult content platforms, would also face new requirements under the law to "mitigate risks associated with exposure" to various categories of harmful content and apply labels to synthetically generated content. The eventual regulations would be enforced by a Digital Safety Commission, with possible fines on companies not in compliance of up to three percent of their global revenue or CAD$10 million. "This legislation will provide a safer environment for young Canadians and empower them to connect in-person, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills so they can thrive," Health Minister Marjorie Michel said in a statement. Sachin Maharaj, an education professor at University of Ottawa, called the proposal "a step towards the right direction," with a "recognition that social media is associated with behavioral and social issues." "Obviously, kids will find their way around" restrictions, he told AFP. "But the real challenge is to change the way the apps work." AI rules In addition to the social media ban, the new law would also regulate increasingly ubiquitous AI chatbots by requiring companies to "mitigate the risk of the chatbot communicating harmful content." Companies would also face requirements for transparency around "reporting thresholds in crisis situations," such as when a user intends to harm themselves or another person. The issue has been particularly sensitive in Canada following a mass shooting in April that left nine people dead in the small mining town of Tumbler Ridge, including the shooter. OpenAI has faced intense criticism after it banned the shooter from its platform in June last year over the user's troubling conversations on ChatGPT, but did not report the account to Canadian police because it said it saw no evidence of an imminent attack. In December, Australia became the first country in the world to require TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other top sites to remove accounts held by under-16s or face heavy fines. Indonesia began enforcing its own social media ban for users under the age of 16 in March, while several European governments have announced their desire to make similar moves.

Canada introduces safety bill banning social media for children under-16

The bill comes months after Australia enacted a similar ban designed to make internet usage safer for young people. Canada's government has introduced Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, which will prohibit young people under the age of 16 from using social media, with an exception made for platforms that meet specific safety standards. Another goal of the bill is to make AI chatbots safer by setting up a digital regulator to establish safety standards. Minister of Health Marjorie Michel said, "Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy childhood development and have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians. "The healthy development of our children begins with their physical and mental well-being, which is grounded in strong and healthy social connections. This legislation will provide a safer environment for young Canadians and empower them to connect in-person, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills so they can thrive." It could potentially take up to a year for the bill to pass and an additional six months to establish the digital regulator, additionally, the companies that fail to comply with the rules face penalties of 3pc of global revenue, or up to C$10m. The proposed legislation will make online services more accountable and transparent by introducing new safety requirements for social media services and AI chatbot services. This will include an age restriction, measures to reduce children's exposure to certain content and high-risk interactions and regulated services will be required to identify, mitigate and address the risks on their platforms. Marc Miller, the minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, with responsibility for Official Languages, said, "We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have. As technologies evolve, we must ensure our laws keep pace, because parents cannot face these challenges alone. "The safety of children cannot be an afterthought. This legislation will introduce stronger responsibilities for online platforms to ensure their services are safe by design and include appropriate measures to keep children safe." Canada is not the first region to consider limiting young people's access to social media. In December of last year, Australia enacted the world's first social media ban for minors under the age of 16, in a bid to bolster child safety. The ban affects Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and TikTok. Other regions that have considered implementing changes include the UK and France and in November of 2025 the European Parliament proposed an EU-wide minimum age to access social media, video-sharing platforms and AI companions. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

With chatbot regulation, Canada proposes a ban on social media for under 16s

With chatbot regulation, Canada proposes a ban on social media for under 16s The government of Canada announced today that it is mulling a ban on social media for children under 16, though unlike some other countries that have already introduced such a ban, Canada has said the social media platforms can remain servicing children if they can prove they are safe. In what's fast-becoming a global effort to protect kids from the dangers of social media, Canada believes "harms are intensifying" for young people in the form of "child sexual exploitation and cyberbullying to self-harm and mental health issues." To counteract this, Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister, has introduced Bill C-34, the "Safe Social Media Act." "We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have," said Miller. "As technologies evolve, we must ensure our laws keep pace, because parents cannot face these challenges alone. The safety of children cannot be an afterthought. This legislation will introduce stronger responsibilities for online platforms to ensure their services are safe by design and include appropriate measures to keep children safe." Over the last year or so, a number of countries have followed in the footsteps of Australia, that became the first country to impose a social media ban for under 16s. Britain, Denmark, France, Spain, Greece, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are also in the process of developing similar bans, legislation that despite concerns regarding social media harms, has not yet been embraced in the U.S. where most of the countries that provide the technology are located. Canada's bill, which will need to be passed by Parliament before it is written into the law, also takes aim at artificial intelligence chatbots that themselves have come under scrutiny of late for their potential harms. While Canada isn't planning to ban such chatbots for kids, the legislation asks that companies build safety mechanisms into their services concerning how the chatbot builds relationships, how it responds to questions around self-harm, and how it mitigates the risk of the chatbot sending harmful content in general. Miller told CBC Canada that the reason chatbots won't see age restrictions is the technology is "evolving" and can be educational as well as posing dangers. "We're going to have to keep a close eye on it," he said.

Canada's move to rein in AI chatbots, spurred by school shooting, faces doubts over loopholes

Canada's new AI chatbot and social media regulation bill, prompted by a school shooting, faces criticism for potential loopholes and a lengthy implementation. Experts doubt its effectiveness, citing the ease of circumventing restrictions and the risk of pushing children to less safe platforms. The government aims to balance privacy with safety, but challenges remain in practical enforcement. Canadian legislation to regulate AI chatbots, introduced this week after national outrage over a school shooting that left nine people dead, has raised doubts among academics and legal experts who warn that loopholes and its lengthy time frame may undermine the effort. Public pressure mounted on the government for action after OpenAI acknowledged it had not reported to police troubling ChatGPT messages from the suspect in the February incident. The bill proposes a new digital regulator and would follow Australia in banning social media for children under 16. The new agency would require chatbots to reduce the risk of users seeking harmful content and include crisis intervention steps if they discuss issues ⁠such as ⁠suicide and self-harm. But the legislation has drawn criticism for its lack of detail, the difficulties of avoiding loopholes while preserving privacy, and the long time frame for putting measures in place. "If this is the preview of a law, I do not have high hopes for something that will be useful in a practical sense," said Evan Light, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who focuses on technology and privacy. He said he was shocked at how underdeveloped the bill was, adding that restrictions on Internet use could easily be circumvented with VPNs - virtual private networks that mask users' Internet addresses - or other means. The office of Canada's Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ⁠issue. In a news conference announcing the bill on Wednesday, Miller said there was a need to balance privacy concerns with efforts to regulate social media and AI chatbot use, and noted the proposed law does not apply to private messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal. He ⁠also said companies that meet criteria set by the new regulator would be able to get an exemption from the social media ban. He said Canada had witnessed the tragic consequences of online harm, citing the shooting at Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia. The 18-year-old suspect's account on OpenAI's ChatGPT had been flagged for violence internally, but was never reported to police. Miller said the company "made an egregious human error" and the government was now taking steps to make social media and AI chatbots "safer by design." OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. The company previously apologized for not alerting Canadian authorities. A growing list of governments across Europe, in Brazil and in a handful of U.S. states are pushing ahead with new age-checking requirements for social networks, AI chatbots and porn purveyors alike. A Meta spokesperson said in an email that social media bans are "counterproductive" and that the company is assessing the implications of the proposed bill. A spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube, said the company is committed to working with the government to establish higher safety standards, so parents can choose safer online experiences for ⁠their children. A TikTok spokesperson said the platform already has more than 50 safety and privacy settings and parents can use "Family Pairing" to manage their teens' experience. Government officials have said it could take a year for the bill to pass and 18 months to set up the digital regulator once it does. Florian Martin-Bariteau, director of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society at the University of Ottawa, warned that children would likely be able to circumvent the social media ban and AI chatbot restrictions. Since Australia's social media ban took effect, the regulatory agency enforcing it reported that a substantial number of children under 16 still retain accounts. "The proposed framework will move them to riskier, smaller platforms," he said, adding that while rules for major platforms could likely be enforced, it would be virtually impossible for Canada to block smaller websites that don't comply. "By trying to protect kids, we may actually put them at greater risk."

Canada moves to ban social media for children under 16 and regulate AI chatbots

OTTAWA - The Canadian government introduced a digital safety bill on Wednesday that would ban social media for children under 16 with exemptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards, months after Australia enacted the world's first social media ban for young people. The bill also aims to make AI chatbots safer by setting up a digital regulator to establish safety standards, a government official said. Companies could face penalties of 3% of global revenue or up to 10 million Canadian dollars ($7.2 million), whichever is more, for failing to comply. "Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy childhood development and have become a ⁠source of anxiety, isolation, depression and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians," said Marc Miller, minister ⁠of Canadian identity and culture.

How Canada's draft chatbot law stacks up on global scene

Canada's proposed law requiring chatbot providers to protect users from "harmful" content is the latest step by global governments to regulate the sector. There are also many state-level bills, including one passed in New York that would require protections for minors against harmful content as well as so-called "sycophancy" and age verification requirements for chatbots. Canada's proposed law requiring chatbot providers to protect users from "harmful" content is the latest step by global governments to regulate the sector. The draft legislation introduced on Wednesday targets issues like chatbots encouraging suicide or self-harm, as well as AIs deceptively claiming to be human or expert in complex fields such as medicine and law. Chatbots will also be subject to rules from a new Digital Safety Commission. "I think it's the first online harms regime to add chatbots to the scope," said Taylor Owen, Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics and Communications at Montreal's McGill University. "We're pretty late to this policy space in Canada, so the core of the bill is able to learn from what a lot of other countries have tried," he added. Here is how Canada's proposed rules stack up against other jurisdictions: Britain The British government said in February that it would "shut a legal loophole" leaving chatbots uncovered by the requirements of last year's Online Safety Act. That legislation includes requirements for age checks on content such as pornography or promotion of self-harm, suicide or eating disorders, and bars on children seeing bullying or hateful messages. London is also looking for flexibility to introduce new rules without changing the law every time technology changes -- similar to the guidelines to be set by Canada's new independent commission. "You have to be really careful not to overdraft in legislation, or you have to go back to parliament to change anything, and that can take years," McGill's Owen said. United States Federal lawmakers in Washington have introduced multiple bills to regulate chatbots, including the GUARD and CHATBOT acts in the Senate and the SAFEBOTS act in the House. With Congress divided and tech firms lobbying heavily against regulation, such bills face an uphill battle to become law. While exact provisions vary, most would forbid sexualised interactions, self-harm or suicide content for minors, with some requiring parental consent or shared "family" accounts. There are also many state-level bills, including one passed in New York that would require protections for minors against harmful content as well as so-called "sycophancy" and age verification requirements for chatbots. Australia After Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s, some politicians are now pushing for the youth curbs to be extended to chatbots. "Now is the chance to get ahead of the curve on AI and not be mopping up the damage in 15 years' time," independent MP Kate Chaney told Australia's 9News. EU Although its comprehensive AI Act covers chatbots, the EU went further this year after widespread outrage at xAI's Grok chatbot creating sexualised deepfake images. The bloc has approved rules to ban AI systems generating sexualised deepfakes, and there is currently an EU probe into Grok over the scandal. The European parliament has warned of "significant risks to minors' rights and healthy development" from AI, and there are calls to better protect children online. If Canada's law goes through, "the nature of these regulations... is that countries learn from each other and then iterate," Owen said. "We will see what works and doesn't here, and then other countries can learn from that, just like we did." Among individual EU member states, Italy has barred companion chatbot provider Replika over data protection and age restriction concerns. Brussels has in recent months spent a lot of political energy across the EU on debating whether to set minimum ages for unfettered access to social networks. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in May the bloc should explore limiting children's access to social media with possible new rules proposed within months, speaking before recommendations from an experts' panel expected to be published in July. China Adding to its tight control of online spaces, Beijing has been among the fastest to introduce restrictions on minors' access to AI chatbots. New rules applicable from July 15 bar chatbot operators from offering virtual companions or romantic partners to under-18s, state broadcaster CGTN reported in April. The Cyberspace Administration of China will also require consent from parents or guardians for any human-like chatbot interaction with under-14s. And the government will scrutinise algorithms powering chatbots, demanding operators reveal them to officials.

Canada Bill C-34: Key Provisions of the Digital Safety Act

The bill can be accessed here. Canada tabled Bill C-34 at first reading on June 10, 2026, proposing two laws in one omnibus bill: the Digital Safety Act (DSA) and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act (DSCC Act). The bill regulates social media platforms, AI chatbots, and other online services in Canada and establishes a new regulator, the DSCC, to enforce the regulations. Penalties reach the greater of about US$7.2 million (C$10 million) or 3% of global revenue. The bill sits at first reading and has not passed. What the bill covers: Bill C-34 regulates three service types, each above a user count that regulators will set later: * Regulated social media services carry the heaviest obligations. * Regulated chatbot services are artificial intelligence (AI) systems that use a natural language interface, can simulate sustained human-like relationships, and generate non-predetermined responses. * Regulated online services are other sites or apps that the Governor in Council flags as posing a significant risk to children. What it excludes: * Telecoms that provide only basic internet connectivity. * Private messaging features on any platform. * Search engines, navigation tools, and e-commerce listings. * Proactive content scanning, which platforms need not do, though regulators may require technology that blocks child sexual abuse material uploads. What all operators must do: Every regulated service must build in child-protection design features, verify or estimate users' ages when it serves pornographic content, and maintain compliance records. What social media platforms must do: * Cut the risk that users encounter any of the seven harmful content categories, which are described later * Block under-16s from holding accounts on services regulators specify, unless the DSCC grants an exemption for adequate child-protection safeguards * Give users tools to block others and flag harmful content * Label synthetic content, and label harmful content that bots amplify * Provide a resource person for user concerns * Preserve violent or terrorist content for one year after it is removed What chatbot services must do: Chatbot operators must cut the risk that the bot sends harmful content, interrupt the chat and steer users to human crisis help when a user voices suicidal thoughts or an intent to self-harm, and curb four named behaviours: posing as a human, posing as a licensed professional, using manipulative techniques that build emotional dependency, and encouraging self-harm or suicide. The seven harmful content categories: * Intimate content shared without consent, * Content that sexually victimises a child or revictimises a survivor, * Content that pushes a child toward self-harm, including disordered eating and suicide content, * Content that bullies a child, * Content that foments hatred, * Content that incites violence, * Terrorism or violent extremism content. Two carve-outs apply. The hate definition spares content that merely offends, discredits, or humiliates. The child sexual abuse and terrorism definitions spare material that serves a legitimate purpose, such as journalism, art, education, medicine, science, or justice, where it poses no undue risk to children. What a digital safety plan must contain: Platforms must file and publish a digital safety plan with the DSCC. The plan must cover: * Risk assessments and mitigation measures, with effectiveness indicators, * The volume and type of harmful content the platform moderated, * User flags the platform received and acted on, * Synthetic content labelling, * Compliance resourcing, including automated decision-making, * Any law enforcement notifications. Operators may strip trade secrets, confidential commercial information, and the underlying data inventory from the public version. What the DSCC is and how it works: The DSCC is a new federal body of three to five full-time members, appointed for renewable terms of up to five years, and led by a Chairperson who holds deputy-head status. Its mandate covers: * Enforcing the DSA, * Investigating complaints about child sexual exploitation content and non-consensual intimate imagery, * Issuing guidelines and regulations, * Accrediting researchers to access the platform data. The DSCC must consult the Privacy Commissioner before issuing age-verification guidelines and coordinate with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). How complaints work: Any person in Canada can flag harmful content or a chatbot's harmful behaviour to the DSCC. For child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate imagery, a person can file a formal complaint, but only after they exhaust the platform's own process first. If the DSCC does not dismiss the complaint, it must order the platform to hide the content while it investigates, then order permanent removal if it finds reasonable grounds. How researchers get platform data: The DSCC can accredit researchers and educators whose work serves the act's purposes. Once accredited, they can read the data inventories in the platforms' safety plans, and the DSCC can order a platform to hand over the underlying data itself, under confidentiality, security, and privacy conditions. If a platform violates that order, the researcher can file a complaint with the DSCC. The Commission can publish the names of accredited researchers and the projects it has cleared. How the DSCC enforces compliance: The Commission holds wide investigative powers. It can summon witnesses, compel evidence, and name inspectors who, under a warrant, can enter premises (including remotely), copy data, and demand assistance. It can order an operator to take or stop an action and register that order with the Federal Court. The penalty process proceeds through notices of violation, and an operator can instead make representations, pay the penalty, or sign a binding undertaking. The Commission can name violators publicly and publish their undertakings. Protections built into the bill: Two confidentiality protections stand out. An employee who files a submission can ask the DSCC to shield their identity, and unauthorised disclosure carries criminal penalties. Separately, when the DSCC receives a user's chatbot inputs and the bot's replies, it treats them as confidential if the operator and user agreed to keep them private, a notable safeguard given how much of the bill targets chatbots. Operators can also flag trade secrets and confidential commercial information, which the Commission must protect. What the penalties are: * Administrative: the greater of about US$7.2 million (C$10 million) or 3% of global revenue. * Criminal, on indictment: the greater of about US$14.4 million (C$20 million) or 5% of global revenue. * Criminal, on summary conviction: the greater of about US$10.8 million (C$15 million) or 4% of global revenue. The bill bars jail time for unpaid fines and says penalties aim to drive compliance, not to punish. What the bill leaves undecided: Bill C-34 sets up the structure but leaves key specifics to regulations that cabinet and the DSCC will write later, so even after it passes, some basic questions stay open: * Which platforms are covered? The rules apply only above a user-count threshold, but the bill never sets that number. * What "child-protection design features" must platforms build in? The bill requires them, but does not describe them. * How must platforms verify age? The bill mandates age checks but leaves the acceptable methods to regulation. * Which online services beyond social media and chatbots must comply? This third bucket only fills once the cabinet designates categories. How this fits the global age-verification wave: Canada's under-16 account rule joins a fast-moving global push to keep younger children off social media. Australia implemented the world's first under-16 ban in December 2025, and VPN downloads surged as the codes took effect. France voted for an under-15 ban, while Spain and Indonesia moved on similar measures. Canada's bill leans toward a duties-and-design model over a blanket cutoff, placing it among a smaller set of design-first approaches. University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist called the volume of decisions left to cabinet and the future commission "astonishing," predicting the law will take years to implement. Why this matters for India: India is debating its own version of this question. Several states moved first: * Karnataka proposed an under-16 ban. * Andhra Pradesh proposed an under-13 ban. * Goa is examining similar measures. Legal experts question whether states hold jurisdiction over internet policy. The central government is reportedly preparing a graded national framework with three age brackets (8-12, 12-16, 16-18) rather than a single ban. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) calls such restrictions disproportionate, warning they ignore engagement-maximising platform design and risk deepening India's digital gender divide. Canada's chatbot duties, its researcher data-access regime, and its privacy-aligned age verification all raise questions India's framework has yet to resolve.

Canada to Impose Social Media Ban for Under-16s

The Canadian government introduced a landmark digital safety bill on Wednesday to regulate teens' social media exposure. The bill, once passed, would ban social media for children under 16, with exceptions for certain platforms that meet safety standards. This bill takes precedence over the Australian government's months-long effort to enact a first-of-a-kind for young people. The bill will also make AI chatbots safer by introducing a digital regulator that will rigorously screen chats and establish high safety standards, a Canadian government official said. The companies can face a penalty of up to 3% of global revenue or C$10 million, whichever is greater, if they fail to comply with regulatory standards. "Social media platforms and are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy childhood development and have become a source of anxiety, isolation, ⁠depression, and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians," said Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture.

Canada introduces legislation to ban social media for children under 16, regulate AI chatbots

OTTAWA, June 10 (Reuters) - The Canadian government introduced a new digital safety bill on Wednesday that would ban social media for children under 16 with exemptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards, months after Australia enacted the world's first social media ban for young people. The bill also aims to make AI chatbots safer by setting up a digital regulator to establish safety standards, a government official said. Companies could face penalties of 3% of global revenue or up to C$10 million ($7.2 million), whichever is more, for failing to comply. "Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy childhood development and have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians," said Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister. "This legislation will provide a safer environment for young Canadians and empower them to connect in-person, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills so they can thrive." The bill's introduction in Parliament comes weeks after families affected by one of the country's worst mass shootings sued OpenAI, alleging that the company knew the alleged killer was planning the attack on ChatGPT but did not warn police. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In December, Australia became the world's first country to ban social media for children under 16. A month after its law was introduced, social media companies collectively deactivated the accounts of nearly 5 million teenagers. Government officials in a technical briefing said it could take a year for the bill to pass and 18 months to set up the digital regulator once it does. A spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube, said the company is committed to working with the federal government to establish higher safety standards for all platforms, so parents have the confidence and control to choose better, safer online experiences for their children. Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, and Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter, and Snapchat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. France, Denmark and Poland are also considering tightening rules around social media use for children, while Greece in April announced it would ban access to those under the age of 15 from January 2027. Prime Minister Mark Carney has a slim majority in Parliament, which is due to break for summer recess soon. Brett Caraway, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who focuses on technology and privacy, said Canada's proposal would be more comprehensive than the Australian law. "The Canadian proposal would entail a more complex set of platform obligations and (re)designs. Its aim is a redesign of the social media ecosystem to make it safer for children whereas Australia's law is about restricting access to the ecosystem," he said. "The scope is also broader since the Canadian law would tackle AI as well." (Reporting by Maria Cheng; Additional reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Mark Porter and David Gregorio)