What to know
- A Liberal Party proposal put forward by Québec MP Rachel Bendayan at the 2026 convention would ban under-16s from social media. It builds on earlier discussions tied to Bill C-63 led by Marc Miller, but remains non-binding for now.
- Many Torontonians back the idea, citing harmful content, mental health concerns and unrealistic online standards, though some say 16 may be too strict and prefer a lower age like 14.
- Inspired by Australia’s recent under-16 ban, the proposal could shift responsibility to platforms for age verification and aims to curb issues like social media addiction, low self-esteem and cyberbullying among youth.
How old were you when you first logged onto social media? The federal government is now considering a ban for anyone under 16 in Canada.
Although the original idea was loosely discussed in Bill C-63 by Culture Minister Marc Miller for kids under 14, Québec MP Rachel Bendayan presented it for those under 16 at the 2026 Liberal National Convention held in Montréal earlier in April.
Unlike the previous discussion tied to the broader Online Harms Act, this proposal is a non-binding Liberal Party policy that aims to address mental health and safety concerns that stem from social media use.
Since this proposal, Canadians have been debating whether the country will follow Australia’s lead and implement a ban.
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Here’s how Torontonians feel about a potential ban
Toronto resident Sean agrees with the proposal. “There is some stuff on the Internet that is not really kid-friendly.”
He explained kids lack the maturity to handle more serious content and there should be restrictions on social media.
Personally, he started using social media in 2007-2008 for texting his friends and didn’t scroll much until he was 15 or 16. “Some of my personal prejudices perhaps influence what I think,” he added.
Echoing this sentiment, Toronto resident Ella believes social media does more harm than good. “I think it’s beneficial if they actually spend time with real human beings, such as their friends, rather than be on their phones all the time,” she said.
With two kids of her own, she explained she’s keeping them away from social media for as long as possible. “I totally support it. It should be law,” Ella said.
“With AI and different tools people can use to manipulate, glorify and beautify content, it gives young people a really weird angle of what reality is and I think it’s more unhealthy now,” she added.
But Toronto residents Alma and Alice agree with the ban on some conditions.
Alma recalled getting social media at 16 and remembers feeling connected to her peers, but also recognizes the damage it had done to her as an adult.
Though she points out that, if she were a parent, she would understand the desire for a ban.
On the other hand, Alice started using social media at 10 years old and finds the Internet is getting worse. “I think the stuff we see online today is a lot more extreme than what I saw growing up, and even what I saw growing up was not appropriate for children,” she mentioned.
Both women agree social media isn’t always good, but believe 16 is “extreme,” both suggesting the limit be lowered to 14 and under — as per the original idea.
Now versus the potential future
Without any official ban in place, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are already restricting kids under 13 from joining. However, it’s easy to bypass the minimum without proper enforcement.
In Australia, the under-16 ban came into effect in late 2025, requiring tech companies to implement age verification to prevent minors from opening online accounts.
If Canada were to follow Australia’s lead, UofT Professor in the Faculty of Information, Ebrahim Bagheri, suggested the country adopt Australia’s approach: giving social media platforms the responsibility for verifying users’ ages. For example, through a government-issued ID.
Bagheri is in favour of the motion. “Maybe not just in terms of preventative measures, but also signalling to the younger generation that social media will have a negative effect on the behavioural growth,” Bagheri told Now Toronto.
“For teenagers or kids in early adolescence, they are going through their developmental age. So the idea of self-regulation and brain development, and so you are exposing people at their development ages to content and algorithms that shape behaviour,” Bagheri said.
He identified the main problems with social media being accessible to all over 13 right now:
- It can create addictive behaviour as social media platforms try to maximize scrolling to generate revenue, potentially distracting students from their schoolwork.
- Some publications can lower self-esteem and comparison, which is harmful to their well-being.
- Cyberbullying can stem from social media, again harming kids’ well-being.
Bagheri believes this motion is important because it signals the harm caused by these platforms.
So, what’s happening now?
During the convention, members of the Liberal party voted in favour of setting 16 as the age limit for Canadians to have social media accounts.
The law might also include the use of any AI, such as OpenAI or ChatGPT, too.
To date, this is only a proposed policy and not yet a federal law in Canada.
