Based on coverage from Hindustan Times, The Globe and Mail, Lethbridge News Now, Medicine Hat News, and Brandon Sun.
Manitoba’s premier is floating one of the toughest ideas Canada has heard yet on kids and tech: a ban not just on social media, but also on AI chatbots.
Premier Wab Kinew made the announcement at a Manitoba NDP fundraising gala, arguing these products are designed to pull kids in and keep them there. “These platforms are not neutral. They have been built this way to maximize engagement,” he said, linking heavy use to anxiety and depression among young people.
The big catch: Manitoba hasn’t explained what the ban would look like, who exactly it would cover, or how it would be enforced.
Manitoba social media ban plan details
Kinew said social media and “now AI chatbots” are being used to “hack our children’s attention spans,” calling that design intentional and profit-driven. He also accused tech leaders of not sharing Manitoba’s values.
What Manitobans do not have yet are the nuts and bolts. Kinew didn’t say what age cutoff he’s targeting, which apps would be captured, whether parents would have any role, or when legislation might land. His office also declined to comment further after the gala.
That lack of detail matters because the practical questions are the hard part: age verification, privacy, enforcement, and whether companies or families carry the burden.
Canadian provinces eye youth tech restrictions
Manitoba isn’t alone in testing the waters. Other provinces, including Saskatchewan and Quebec, are considering similar measures.
In Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe said in March his government would consult residents on whether a social media ban makes sense. The broader trend is clear: provincial leaders are feeling pressure from parents, educators, and advocates who say kids are dealing with more cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and mental health strain than families can manage on their own.
The risk, though, is a patchwork of rules across provinces, which could mean uneven protections for kids and a compliance headache for platforms operating nationally.
Federal online harms bill and Liberal motions
Ottawa is also circling the same issue, and the politics are moving fast.
Culture Minister Marc Miller, who is working on a new bill to address online harms, has said the government is taking potential restrictions “very seriously,” including the idea of a youth moratorium. He has also pointed out that online harms don’t magically stop when someone turns 15 or 16, and that platforms need more responsibility.
At the federal Liberal convention in Montreal this month, party members adopted two motions: one to prevent kids under 16 from creating social media accounts, with the onus on tech companies to ensure compliance, and another to block under-16s from “all AI chatbots and other potentially harmful forms of AI interaction.”
The previous online harms bill, C-63, died when an election was called. After some initial hesitation, the government changed course and Miller is now leading work on a new version, supported by a reconvened expert group looking at questions like whether AI chatbots should be covered and whether age limits should apply.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s office says the party is waiting for details, adding Conservatives will review proposals while keeping child safety and Canadians’ privacy rights in mind.
AI chatbots, Tumbler Ridge shooting, and safety concerns
AI chatbots got pulled into this debate for a grim reason.
After a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., in February involving an 18-year-old, reporting said the shooter had been banned from OpenAI’s ChatGPT for concerning interactions, but law enforcement was not notified and the person was able to create another account. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologised in a letter to the community, saying an apology was necessary to recognize the harm and loss.
Advocates argue this is exactly why chatbots belong in online safety law, not just social media.
What Australia’s under-16 ban shows Canadians
Canada isn’t the first country to try age-based restrictions. Australia has banned youth under 16 from major social media platforms and shifted responsibility to tech companies, with financial penalties for non-compliance. Australia’s online safety regulator says companies have removed 4.7 million under-16 accounts.
But evidence from a poll of more than 1,000 Australian youth aged 12 to 15 by the Molly Rose Foundation suggests access is still easy to get around: 61 per cent of kids who previously had accounts on restricted platforms said they still had access through at least one account.
Canadian experts are split on whether bans solve the underlying problem. University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist warns blanket prohibitions can be circumvented and may “let platforms off the hook” for harmful design. Helen Hayes at McGill’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy says federal leadership is crucial, and that without a dedicated digital safety regulator Canada risks symbolic rules that rely on platforms to self-police.
Meanwhile, Children First Canada is pushing for broader legislation, including coverage of AI chatbots and video games. The group is holding a rally on Parliament Hill, calling for a legal duty of care, safety-by-design requirements, and a strong independent regulator with real enforcement power.
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