OTTAWA, June 10 (Reuters) – The Canadian authorities launched a brand new digital security invoice on Wednesday that will ban social media for children under 16 with exemptions for platforms that meet sure security requirements, months after Australia enacted the world’s first social media ban for younger folks.
The invoice additionally goals to make AI chatbots safer by organising a digital regulator to set up security requirements, a authorities official mentioned.
Firms might face penalties of 3% of world income or up to C$10 million ($7.2 million), whichever is extra, for failing to comply.
“Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to seize consideration. They don’t help wholesome childhood growth and have grow to be a supply of tension, isolation, despair and a spread of different psychological well being challenges for many younger Canadians,” mentioned Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identification and Tradition and Minister.
“This legislation will present a safer setting for younger Canadians and empower them to join in-person, construct friendships, focus at school, and be taught real-world abilities to allow them to thrive.”
The invoice’s introduction in Parliament comes weeks after households affected by one of many nation’s worst mass shootings sued OpenAI, alleging that the corporate knew the alleged killer was planning the assault on ChatGPT however didn’t warn police.
OpenAI didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
In December, Australia grew to become the world’s first nation to ban social media for children under 16. A month after its regulation was launched, social media corporations collectively deactivated the accounts of practically 5 million youngsters.
Authorities officers in a technical briefing mentioned it might take a yr for the invoice to go and 18 months to arrange the digital regulator as soon as it does.
A spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube, mentioned the corporate is dedicated to working with the federal authorities to set up increased security requirements for all platforms, so dad and mom have the boldness and management to select higher, safer on-line experiences for their children.
Meta, which owns Instagram and Fb, and Elon Musk’s X, previously Twitter, and Snapchat, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
France, Denmark and Poland are additionally contemplating tightening guidelines round social media use for children, whereas Greece in April introduced it will ban entry to these under the age of 15 from January 2027.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has a slim majority in Parliament, which is due to break for summer time recess quickly.
Brett Caraway, an affiliate professor on the College of Toronto who focuses on expertise and privateness, mentioned Canada’s proposal can be extra complete than the Australian regulation.
“The Canadian proposal would entail a extra advanced set of platform obligations and (re)designs. Its purpose is a redesign of the social media ecosystem to make it safer for children whereas Australia’s regulation is about proscribing entry to the ecosystem,” he mentioned.
“The scope can be broader for the reason that Canadian regulation would deal with AI as effectively.”
(Reporting by Maria Cheng; Further reporting by Jasper Ward; Modifying by Caroline Stauffer and Mark Porter and David Gregorio)
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