Canada unveils youth digital safety bill

The Canadian government has put forward a digital safety bill that would prohibit social media use by children under 16 unless platforms meet defined safety standards. Introduced in Parliament on June 10, 2026, the legislation seeks to tighten oversight of how young users engage with major online services. Platforms that comply with the safety requirements could qualify for exemptions, allowing continued access for under-16 users within a regulated framework.

Government officials described the proposal as a structured approach to youth online safety rather than a blanket prohibition. The bill focuses on requiring platforms to take concrete steps to reduce risks for younger users, making access conditional on demonstrated compliance with the new rules.

Alongside social media, the legislation addresses artificial intelligence chatbots, imposing distinct obligations on providers. Firms operating chatbots would be required to mitigate the risk of these systems communicating harmful content to users. They would also need to be transparent about their reporting thresholds in crisis situations, clarifying when and how they escalate serious concerns.

Unlike social media services, AI chatbots would not be subject to an under-16 user ban under the bill. Instead, the focus is on how chatbot interactions are managed and monitored, reflecting a different regulatory approach for conversational AI compared with social platforms.

The bill would create a digital regulator responsible for establishing and enforcing safety standards for online platforms and relevant AI services. This body would define the criteria that social media platforms must meet to receive exemptions for under-16 users, and would oversee compliance with chatbot safety obligations.

Officials said the legislative process could take about a year before the bill is passed by Parliament. Once enacted, setting up the new regulator is expected to require around 18 months, indicating a phased implementation of the new digital safety regime.

The introduction of the digital safety bill comes weeks after families affected by one of Canada’s worst mass shootings launched legal action against OpenAI. The lawsuit alleges the company knew the alleged killer discussed plans on ChatGPT but did not inform police. The case has drawn attention to how AI tools handle potentially dangerous content and the responsibilities of companies operating such systems.

While the bill does not address the lawsuit directly, its timing underscores growing scrutiny of both social media platforms and AI chatbots. The proposed framework seeks to formalize expectations around risk mitigation and crisis reporting in digital environments used by the public, including young people.