Canada introduces bill to ban social media for under-16s

The government in Canada has introduced a legislation on digital safety that could prohibit children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts.

The bill,  which was introduced in the country's parliament on Wednesday, gives exemptions to companies that can prove their platforms meet certain safety standards.

The criteria for what the exemptions entail is slated to be announced at a later date.

"We are failing our children. Enough is enough," Canada's culture minister, Marc Miller, said.

The bill encompasses seven categories of harmful content, which include:

The legislation could take a year to pass, Reuters reported, citing government officials at a technical briefing.

The bill provides for the establishment of a new regulator —  called the Digital Safety Commission of Canada —  to enforce the new legislation and ensure compliance.

The regulator would also set safety requirements for AI chatbots , including child-focused risk mitigation.