Calls grow for Canada social media ban under 16

Demand is growing across Canada for the federal government to ban social media access for children under 16, with parents citing peer pressure and enforcement challenges, as a new provincial initiative in Manitoba adds momentum to the push.

A nationwide Angus Reid survey conducted last month found that three-quarters of more than 4,000 respondents supported such a restriction, modeled after Australia's policy that prevents users under 16 from creating accounts on platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads. Advocates have referenced a recent New Mexico court ruling that held Meta responsible for knowingly harming children's mental health and concealing details of child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

Parents who have restricted their children's social media use say a government ban would reinforce their efforts amid persistent obstacles. Jennifer Gill of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, bars her three children, aged 12 to 14, from the platforms after witnessing severe mental health effects on her now-28-year-old eldest daughter as a teen. She restricts home internet access when unsupervised but notes exposure risks elsewhere. "As soon...