OTTAWA, CANADA / Content Syndication Services / – Canada has proposed the Safe Social Media Act, a digital safety bill that would restrict social media accounts for children under 16 and regulate AI chatbots. The bill, introduced on June 10, would create new duties for online platforms and chatbot providers. It marks a major federal move on child online safety, age limits, harmful content and artificial intelligence services.
The proposal would bar children younger than 16 from holding social media accounts unless a platform receives an exemption. To qualify, a service would need to show that it has strong safeguards for children. Platforms that host adult content would not qualify. The bill also calls for age checks, user safety tools and digital safety plans from services covered by the law.
Canadian Heritage said the legislation would enact a Digital Safety Act and a Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act. The new regulator would oversee compliance, assess safety measures and issue orders where services fail to meet legal duties. The framework would cover social media services and certain AI chatbot services, with rules tailored to each type of service.
Child safety rules
The bill targets seven categories of harmful online content. They include child sexual exploitation, material that induces children to harm themselves, child bullying, hate-related content, incitement to violence, violent extremist material and non-consensual intimate content. The government says covered services would need systems to identify and reduce these risks. Users would also get tools to block others and flag harmful material.
AI chatbot providers would face duties tied to harmful responses and crisis situations. The proposal calls for measures that reduce the risk of chatbots encouraging self-harm, violence or other harmful conduct. It would also require crisis intervention protocols. The under-16 account restriction applies to social media services, while chatbot services fall under a separate safety framework in the same bill.
Regulator and penalties
The legislation would allow penalties for companies that fail to comply. Fines could reach 3% of global revenue or C$10 million, whichever is higher. The regulator would also have powers to audit services, review safety plans and order corrective steps. The bill remains before Parliament and must pass the legislative process before its main rules can take effect.
The bill remains before Parliament and would need legislative approval before its main measures take effect. Its provisions distinguish between social media platforms and AI chatbot services, applying age restrictions to social media accounts and separate safety duties to chatbot providers. The proposal adds to Canada’s wider digital policy agenda by placing child safety, platform accountability and online harm reduction under a federal regulatory framework.