Episode Description
Back in December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for kids under 16. Simply put, popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat were ordered to block all Australian children from their sites or face hefty fines.
Should Canada follow suit? The momentum is growing.
Last month, Culture Minister Marc Miller said the Carney Liberals are “very seriously” considering a social media ban for kids after the party adopted a motion at its recent convention.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew went one step further, announcing last weekend that his province would be the first to bring in its own social media ban for youth — and that the ban would apply to AI chatbots.
Here in Ontario, the Ford government said this week it’s considering banning all cellphones from school property.
Here’s the key question: Would ordering kids off social media actually work? Or would a ban create more problems than it actually solves?
Our guest on this week’s Closer Look podcast is Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa law professor and the Canada Research Chair in Internet and e-Commerce Law.