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TORONTO (AP) \u2014 Canada introduced legislation on Wednesday that could bar children younger than 16 from having social media accounts unless the companies show they can make their platforms safe.<\/p>\n
Canada is joining a growing global effort<\/a> to tighten safety protections. Canadian government officials said social media platforms can obtain an exemption if they have put in place sufficient safeguards.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are failing our children. Enough is enough,\u201d Marc Miller, Canada\u2019s culture minister, said. \u201cWe need basic protection in place.”<\/p>\n The legislation covers seven types of harmful content including content that induces children to harm themselves, content that incites violence and foments hatred and non-consensual intimate images.<\/p>\n A new regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, will be created. Criteria for what exemptions would look like will be announced at a later date. Miller said setting up the regulator could take up to 18 months.<\/p>\n Miller said platforms will need to prove they are safe. Age verification will also be established.<\/p>\n Countries including Australia,<\/a>Brazil<\/a> and Indonesia<\/a> have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children\u2019s access to social media. Others including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark,<\/a> Thailand and South Korea are studying or developing similar approaches.<\/p>\n Platforms in Canada that offer adult content would not be able to obtain an exemption.<\/p>\n The legislation would also regulate the companies behind artificial intelligence<\/a> chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act responsibly through measures such as crisis intervention protocols.<\/p>\n In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children since the country banned use of the platforms<\/a> by those under 16, officials said. The law provoked intense debate<\/a> in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.<\/p>\n A Canadian government official, in a briefing with journalists, said authorities will try to learn lessons from Australia.<\/p>\n Lianna McDonald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, applauded the move, noting sextortion on social media is up dramatically.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n