Ottawa considers age restrictions for social media and AI chatbots
Canada's federal heritage minister said Wednesday the government is "very seriously" considering whether to restrict young Canadians' access to social media platforms and AI chatbots, but no decision has been made.
Marc Miller, whose portfolio includes online safety, was responding to two non-binding resolutions passed by Liberal Party members at their policy convention in Montreal over the weekend. One called for social media companies to prevent users under 16 from holding accounts. The other urged a ban on anyone under 16 accessing "all AI chatbots and other potentially harmful forms of AI interaction."
What the resolutions propose
The social media resolution mirrors legislation Australia passed late last year, which set a minimum age for accounts on major platforms.
The AI chatbot resolution specifically mentions ChatGPT and similar tools that simulate human conversation. The government's response to AI chatbots has drawn scrutiny following the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting, after OpenAI declined to flag concerning messages the shooter had exchanged with ChatGPT months earlier.
Government's cautious approach
Miller said an age-based moratorium "could be an important layer" in the government's effort to resurrect online harms legislation, but cautioned it cannot be "the answer to everything."
"The politics perhaps of it are convenient, but the policy has to be right," Miller said.
He emphasized legislation should focus on preventing online harms rather than pursuing legal action or criminal liability after harm occurs.
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon flagged practical challenges. "How to do it? What's the scope and scale?" he said, pointing to questions around age verification.
Expert panel reconvened
The government has reconvened a panel of researchers, online child safety advocates, and professors to advise on regulating tech companies and addressing online safety. The group will examine artificial intelligence, chatbots, AI companions, and other emerging online services.
The panel previously worked on Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, which died when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament last year. That bill targeted content used to bully or harm children, hate speech, content inciting violence or terrorism, child sexual abuse material, and non-consensual intimate images.
Opposition response
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had previously accused the government of chilling free speech and argued that bullying and online harms should be handled by police, not a new bureaucracy.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett said questions around an age-based ban warrant parliamentary study, noting both corporate responsibility and government obligation to protect young people. "This is a rapidly changing environment, particularly with AI," he said.
NDP MP Don Davies called for more effective government regulation, arguing the Liberals previously buried online harms legislation in omnibus bills containing other "problematic" provisions.
Miller said he will seek cross-party support for the anticipated new online harms bill. "The initial sense I got from people that I did speak to on the other side of the House is that they would be interested in supporting the bill if it made sense for them," he said.
For government professionals developing AI policy and governance frameworks, understanding these regulatory considerations is essential as jurisdictions worldwide examine age restrictions and safety measures.
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