{
  "id": 4712451,
  "title": "Meta’s new rules for kids should extend to Canada, B.C. attorney general says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/metas-new-rules-for-kids-should-extend-to-canada-b-c-attorney-general-4712451",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T20:11:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CityNews",
    "slug": "citynews",
    "url": "https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/08/31/metas-new-rules-for-kids-should-extend-to-canada-b-c-attorney-general-says/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "British Columbia's attorney general, Niki Sharma, has urged Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to extend its new child protection measures to Canadian children. The U.S.-based social media giant is implementing new safeguards as part of a significant legal settlement, but refuses to roll them out in Canada. Sharma argues Canadian youth should be entitled to identical protections, including age-based content limits, age verification, and features designed to curb excessive usage. She contends the U.S. changes prove fortifying child safeguards for digital platforms is not only feasible but necessary. Sharma further points out numerous lawsuits against social media companies in Canada, but families shouldn’t have to await case resolutions to reap the benefits outlined in the U.S. settlement. Last week, Meta agreed to a US$18 billion settlement that resolves a landmark trial over teen addiction to social media and settles claims from nearly every U.S. state. The company has pledged to introduce several safety features as part of the agreement, such as two-hour daily time limits with parental permission overrides, blocking teen access to its apps between midnight and 6 a.m., and eliminating push notifications during school hours. Meta will also enable teens to deactivate autoplay and automatically suppress the number of likes and reactions for teen users, while also disabling certain filters that could result in extreme alterations to appearance.",
  "summary": "VICTORIA — British Columbia's attorney general is calling on social media giant Meta to implement the same protections for Canadian children who use its platforms that American children will receive.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Meta’s new rules for kids should extend to Canada, B.C. attorney general says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/metas-new-rules-for-kids-should-extend-to-canada-b-c-attorney-general",
        "published": "2026-08-31T20:11:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}