Requiring everyone — adults included — to verify their identity before using social media to address concerns about minors is a blunt, privacy-invasive solution to a narrow problem. Section 2(b) of the Charter protects freedom of expression, including the ability to access information and communicate anonymously, and a blanket verification mandate risks chilling that speech for millions while creating a tempting new database of sensitive personal data — without solving the underlying issue.
Right now, the ban is not law yet, but the wheels are officially in motion.On June 10, 2026, the federal government (under Prime Minister Mark Carney and Culture Minister Marc Miller) introduced Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act. This is the government's latest attempt to create a legal framework for online safety, following previous failed attempts like 2024's Bill C-63. Because the current government has a majority, this bill has a much smoother path to passing Parliament, though it still has to go through the standard legislative process. The government has stated that setting up the necessary regulatory body to enforce the rules—the new Digital Safety Commission of Canada—could take up to 18 months after the bill officially becomes law.
Information will appear here as needed, there are currently no restrictions for under 16's going on social media in Canada. (Updated June 15, 2026)
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