Online harms bill to include social media ban for children under 16: source - BERITAJA

The national authorities plans to propose a prohibition connected social media usage for children nether the property of 16 arsenic portion of its highly anticipated online harms bill that will beryllium introduced Wednesday, BERITAJA has learned.

A authorities root confirmed the plans Monday up of the bill’s general introduction. The root requested anonymity to publically talk the bill.

The Globe and Mail first reported connected the forthcoming online harms measure earlier Monday.

The projected societal media prohibition for younker nether 16 would travel action first taken successful Australia, where the measurement took effect past December.

Research suggests galore Australian teens are evading the ban, however, while the country’s online information watchdog said successful March that societal media companies were not afloat complying.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom, are considering their ain younker societal media bans.

The Liberal Party normal successful April adopted a motion from rank for pursuing a younker societal media ban, an thought that polling suggests a mostly of Canadians support.

The take of the mobility prompted Culture Minister Marc Miller, who is group to present the measure Wednesday, to opportunity the authorities was “very seriously” considering a ban.

In April, Manitoba became the first state to announce it would move to enact a societal media prohibition for kids. Other provinces, including Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick, person said they are considering doing the same.

Experts person told BERITAJA that enforcing specified a prohibition would beryllium difficult and person questioned the effectiveness of the measurement connected children’s online literacy.

Advocates, meanwhile, have said a prohibition would amended children’s intelligence and beingness health while curbing increasing online addiction among young people.

—With files from Global’s Bryan Mullan