The Canadian government is advancing a bill to restrict social media accounts for children under 16. As major countries like Australia and the United Kingdom implement regulations on youth online activities, Canada is joining the legislative effort.
On June 10, local time, Reuters and AFP reported that the Canadian government submitted a digital safety bill to Parliament that prohibits the creation of social media accounts for children under 16.
The bill allows exceptions for account creation only if companies can demonstrate that they have sufficient safety measures in place for children.
According to Yonhap News, Canadian Minister of Canadian Heritage Mark Miller stated, "We have witnessed the very serious consequences that harmful online content can cause," adding, "We cannot put children's safety on the back burner."
The bill also includes regulations for the rapidly increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. Companies will be required to implement measures to reduce the risk of AI chatbots providing harmful content, and they must establish reporting criteria to respond if users show signs of intending to harm themselves or others.
The push for AI chatbot regulation in Canada follows a mass shooting incident in February in Tumblerridge, British Columbia. According to reports, the suspect entered multiple scenarios related to gun violence into ChatGPT before the attack, raising concerns that OpenAI did not alert authorities.
In the aftermath, the families of the victims have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, demanding improvements to safety management systems.
Canadian government officials estimate that it could take up to a year for the bill to pass through Parliament, and the establishment of a digital regulatory agency to enforce the law may take about 18 months.
The movement to limit youth access to social media is spreading globally. Australia implemented the world's first law restricting social media account access for those under 16 in December of last year, while over ten European countries, including the UK, France, Austria, Denmark, and Greece, are considering setting the minimum age for social media use between 13 and 16.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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