Many major social media platforms in Canada already have their own bans on youths under 13, but young users have found ways to set up accounts.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller told MPs Tuesday that Ottawa needs to act on teens’ access to social media platforms, adding that the government does not have a choice because of their impact on young people.
Speaking to the Commons heritage committee, Mr. Miller gave his strongest indication yet that the government is seriously considering bringing in a ban on social media for teens under the age of 16 as part of a forthcoming online harms bill.
Asked by Bloc Québécois MP Martin Champoux about whether the government is contemplating such a move, Mr. Miller replied: “I think we have to act as the federal government. We don’t have a choice,” because of what is going on with young people.
“I think as a father, I feel some responsibility, but also as a minister, to assure myself we are doing the right thing for our young people,” he added.
He said the impact of social media use by children, especially younger ones, is known from scientific studies. “We’re talking about brains that haven’t fully developed,” he said.
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Mr. Miller referred to an under-16 social media ban introduced in Australia last year, where a survey showed that more than half of teens covered by the ban still use restricted social media apps.
The poll of 1,050 children aged 12-15, found that 61 per cent of that cohort who had accounts on platforms that became restricted when the ban went into force still have access to one or more of those accounts. The survey was conducted by online safety advocacy group the Molly Rose Foundation and Australia’s largest youth research group, YouthInsight.
Many major social media platforms in Canada already have their own bans on youths under 13, but young users have found ways to set up accounts.
“Any age restriction should be done, if it’s done, it should be done in such a way so we don’t limit ourselves only to this,” he said, adding that young people know how to get around restrictions fairly easily.
He suggested it could form part of a future online harms bill that addresses different types of hate while fully respecting freedom of expression.
He said he would like to see this happen as “soon as possible,” but said there’s still work to be done before any bill is tabled.
In March, Mr. Miller reconvened a group of 11 experts to advise him on what should be in the forthcoming online harms bill.
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In their consideration of the potential “design and scope” of the bill, the panel has been asked to consider not just a potential federal ban on children under age 16 using social media, but age restrictions for using AI chatbots.
The experts are also looking at whether a moratorium on social media use for under-16s could be an option. This could lead to a ban on social media use for a certain time before an assessment to see if social media platforms act themselves to address potential harms to children.
The experts are also discussing whether there should be restrictions for young people on design features which glue social media users to their screens. These include infinite scrolling, or videos that immediately pop up after another is viewed.
Britain is also consulting on whether to bring in a social media ban for under 16s, and whether to place restrictions on such addictive design features.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced last month that his province will ban teens under the age of 16 from using social media and AI chatbots.
Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra also last month said he is looking at a social media ban for teens, as well as outlawing cellphones in schools. He said Ontario would be working closely with the federal government on a social media ban for chidren under a certain age.