The federal government is expected to bar children under 16 from social media platforms when it introduces new legislation as early as Wednesday.
The government gave notice Tuesday that it will introduce a bill "to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act." Culture Minister Marc Miller is leading the file.
"It's obvious why it's a priority. Kids are dying," Miller told reporters on Parliament Hill.
What the Digital Safety Act is expected to include
Federal ministers declined to share details before the bill's formal introduction, citing parliamentary rules. But according to reporting from The Globe and Mail and National Post, the legislation will include a ban on social media for children under 16, with an exemption process available to platforms that meet defined safety standards.
Ottawa's AI strategy, released last week, also signalled that separate legislation addressing the safety of AI chatbots is coming.
The bill arrives as other countries are moving toward similar restrictions, and amid growing scrutiny over the online activity of the Tumbler Ridge, B.C. mass shooter, who is reported to have had interactions with ChatGPT.
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A second attempt at online safety legislation
This is not the government's first push on this issue. A 2024 online harms bill introduced by the Liberals would have created a digital safety commission to oversee and enforce the rules. That bill never became law before the 2025 election was called.
Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said the conditions are different this time.
"There's a great realization in society that there are negative effects from social media use, maybe particularly among our youth, and this bill, when it's tabled, will seek to address that," he said.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser echoed the government's framing, saying the goal is to "ensure that we are being responsible when it comes to protecting kids in particular."
MacKinnon called online safety legislation a priority for the current government.
*This report includes information from The Canadian Press, first published June 9, 2026.
