Proposed social media ban draws mixed reaction

Concerns were raised about safety, responsibility and whether restrictions can be enforced

NewsDilan Kiki — Published October 6, 2026 0 minutes

Canadians remain split in their opinions on the government’s proposed legislation aimed at protecting children and other users from harmful content online. 

Under Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, certain social media services would be required to prevent children under 16 years old from having accounts. Platforms could apply for an exemption from the age restriction if they can show they have sufficient safeguards in place to protect youth. 

This bill would also create a Digital Safety Commission of Canada to oversee and enforce the new online safety rules.  

“The safety of children cannot be an afterthought,” Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller said when introducing the legislation in June. 

Miller said the bill would place stronger responsibilities on online platforms to make their services safer for children. 

“I think 15 [years old] is a bit much. Maybe 13 [years old] would make more sense,” Jacqueline Bienvenue, a 60-year-old clothing store manager, said. “At first, people would probably complain, but after a while it would just become the new normal.” 

Others pointed to the pressure social media can place on young people and the unrealistic expectations they may encounter online.

An 18-year-old Evangeline High School student, who asked to remain anonymous, said she supports restricting social media for young people because she believes it can give them an unrealistic view of life. 

“From personal experience, I think children under 16 shouldn’t be on social media as it negatively affects mental health [due to] the unreal perfection that these platforms ask us to expect of everything in life,” the student said. 

For others, the concern is how social media can shape the way children see themselves and compare themselves to others.

“If parents don’t want their children on social media, they should set those rules at home. If kids really want to get on social media, they’ll find a way anyway, so I don’t think the government ban will solve the problem.” — Ferial Gassemi, 50-year-old engineer

Aida Lopes, a 34-year-old Concordia journalism student, said she supports the proposed ban or other safeguards because of the effect social media can have on how children see themselves. 

“I have nieces that are addicted to Roblox already, and they’re always comparing what they have with what other people have, and social media is that, but exponentially bigger,” Lopes said. 

Lopes says she is in favour of the social media ban. 

“Some kind of safeguard to ensure that kids are protected and can form their own identity before they get to compare themselves with other people on the internet [is needed],” Lopes said.

This sentiment is echoed across all age categories. Elias Al Khoury, a 55-year-old Uber driver, believes the proposed ban is coming too late. 

“I think it’s already too late,” Al Khoury said. “Kids have grown up with social media, and it’s already changed this generation in many ways. I don’t know if banning it will undo that.” 

Ferial Gassemi, a 50-year-old engineer, does not support the government’s proposed ban on social media for children under 16. She believes parents should ultimately make this decision. 

“If parents don’t want their children on social media, they should set those rules at home,”  Gassemi said. “If kids really want to get on social media, they’ll find a way anyway, so I don’t think the government ban will solve the problem.”  

Riad Darwish, a 22-year-old college student, supports the proposed restriction but believes verifying users’ ages would be difficult. 

“I agree with the idea. My only concern is how social media companies would verify people’s ages," Darwish said. "They would probably need more personal information, and that could create privacy and fraud issues.”

Bill C-34 has not yet been passed and is still awaiting legislative approval.