Manitoba might become Canada's pioneering province in implementing restrictions on social media access for minors, though the initiative lacks precise outlines at present. Premier Wab Kinew revealed plans during a Saturday fundraising gathering and via posts on X to impose curbs on social networks and artificial intelligence conversational tools aimed at the province's younger residents.
"These platforms engage in harmful practices against children solely to gain likes, boost user interaction, and generate revenue," Kinew stated at the occasion. "We refuse to commodify our youth, and their focus along with their early years must not be exploited for financial gain."
The premier offered no specifics regarding essential aspects of the restriction, such as the target age group, rollout timeline, or implementation methods. According to CBC, Kinew avoided interacting with journalists following his comments at the event.
In addition to Manitoba's move, Canada's Liberal Party endorsed measures to curtail social media and AI chatbot access for individuals below 16 years old at their Montreal national assembly. Various initiatives to constrain social media are underway nationwide, including one targeting users younger than 14—a threshold stricter than Australia's recent legislation. Yet, a survey by the Molly Rose Foundation raises questions about the impact of similar regulations, which other nations have introduced or are evaluating; it revealed that most adolescents maintain profiles on prohibited sites or circumvent the rules.