Canada stands by proposed youth social media ban after Meta U.S. settlement

The Canadian government has reaffirmed its commitment to the proposed legislation that seeks to ban social media use for users under 16 years old, following a nearly $18 billion settlement between Meta and U.S. states this week. In addition to the financial payout, Meta has pledged to implement new rules aimed at safeguarding younger users on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

These measures include enhancing age verification processes to prevent children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram, restricting teens to age-appropriate accounts, and imposing a maximum limit of two hours of daily usage for users under 18. The social media giant will also block access to its apps during late-night hours (midnight to 6 a.m.) and eliminate "like" counts to discourage addictive behaviors.

Canadian Heritage spokesperson stated that the government remains committed to the Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34), which was introduced in June. The bill aims to establish a "duty to protect children" for all online platforms, requiring them to incorporate age-appropriate design features, such as content warnings, safe search options, and measures to reduce addictive behaviors like endless scrolling. Social media companies will also be required to label bot-driven harmful content, including deepfakes.

Experts suggest that the youth social media ban may evolve over time, with the government employing a "carrot and stick" approach to encourage platforms to improve their designs and better protect children in the long term. The proposed legislation would also establish a new digital safety commission to enforce the rules, and grant exemptions to platforms that meet stringent "adequate safeguards" criteria for child protection.