Canada Plans Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16 in New Online Harms Bill

Canada is moving to ban social media for anyone under 16, with the policy expected to land inside a broader online harms bill this week. The move puts Ottawa in line with Australia and Malaysia, and turns up the regulatory heat on the largest platforms.

What the bill does

Canada is planning to propose a ban on social media for children under 16 as part of an online harms bill to be introduced Wednesday, with platforms that meet new safety standards able to allow children to opt back in, according to a source familiar with the forthcoming bill.

The government gave notice that it will introduce a bill to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act, with Culture Minister Marc Miller leading the file. The bill is also expected to require companies to mitigate harmful content.

Why now

The Carney government is facing growing pressure from child safety advocates and health organizations to strengthen online protections for minors, reviving efforts first advanced under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Public opinion is firmly behind the idea. Three-quarters of Canadians say they support a full ban on social media use for anyone under the age of 16, and among parents with kids in the household support is also strong at 70 per cent.

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The global context

Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media use for kids younger than 16 in December 2025, with those under 16 no longer allowed to use the major social media apps of TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.

Other countries including the United Kingdom, Spain and South Korea are considering their own youth social media bans, while Malaysia enacted its own ban on social media accounts for users under 16 last week, and Brazil now requires youth accounts to be linked to those of a legal guardian.

The pushback

Research shows that many children have evaded the restrictions and are still accessing social media in Australia. Critics also flag privacy concerns tied to age verification, since platforms may need to request ID or apply age-estimation tech to comply.

The legislation is also notable for what it leaves out. While the legislation targets social media platforms, it is not expected to include similar restrictions on AI chatbots.

Options market and stocks to watch

Watch for reaction across the platform names that would be directly captured by a Canadian ban:

META: Instagram, Facebook, and Threads were all hit by Australia’s rules. Watch for hedging flow if Ottawa signals strict enforcement.

SNAP: Snapchat consistently ranks among the apps Canadians most want restricted, so headline risk is real.

GOOGL: YouTube was pulled into the Australian ban as the most-cited source of harmful content for minors. Watch how Canada treats it.

PINS and RBLX: Smaller platforms with younger user skews. Watch for whether Canada’s exemption process gives them an opening or a compliance bill.

For more market-moving news, keep an eye on the tape as the bill is formally tabled.

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