Canada is following in the footsteps of other countries by tightening controls on social media and artificial intelligence (AI) to protect children. While considered positive, its effectiveness is still questionable because it involves issues of online freedom and the level of actual enforcement.
Through the new digital safety bill, children under 16 are not allowed to have social media accounts. However, there are conditional exemptions where companies can be given flexibility if they can prove that the platforms they offer have “adequate protections” to keep children safe. In other words, technology companies are given the opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to the safety of young users by providing clear controls and protection features before being allowed to operate.
To ensure enforcement, a Digital Safety Commission will be established. Companies that fail to comply with the rules could be fined up to 3% of global revenue or CAD$10 million (≈RM34.5 million). Culture Minister Marc Miller stressed that child safety must be a priority while Health Minister Marjorie Michel emphasized that the law will help teenagers focus in school and build real-world skills.
In addition, the law also sets out additional regulations, including requiring social media platforms and adult content sites to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful content. AI-generated content must be clearly labelled, while AI chatbots must be controlled to ensure that they do not produce harmful information. AI companies are also required to clearly state to authorities in the event of critical situations such as threats of suicide or harm to others.
Australia became the first country to require platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to delete accounts of users under the age of 16, with enforcement starting in December 2025. This move was later followed by Indonesia in March 2026. In Europe, several governments are also considering similar approaches to protect young people from the risks of social media.
Malaysia itself has enforced the Child Protection Code (CPC) and the Risk Reduction Code (RMC) which prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media. They are no longer allowed to register new accounts on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Social platforms are required to implement a verification process. For existing accounts, users under 16 years of age are given a month to download and transfer data before the account is blocked or suspended.
