Social Media and Chatbots Banned for Children: Following Australia's lead, several countries are now seeking to ban social media for children. Canada is now preparing to restrict the use of AI chatbots alongside social media.

Social Media and Chatbots Banned for Children: Recognizing the risks social media poses to children, countries are increasingly moving towards banning it. AI chatbots are now also being included in this scope. The latest development comes from Canada, where plans are underway to ban the use of social media and AI chatbots for children under the age of 16. The Canadian government has introduced a new digital safety bill; once passed, it will prohibit children from accessing social media platforms.

Why is the ban being proposed?

This proposed legislation covers not only social media platforms but also chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok. The government states that these tools are designed to keep users constantly engaged, which negatively impacts children's mental health. If the bill becomes law, it provides for the appointment of a digital regulator responsible for establishing safety rules for social media platforms and chatbots. Companies violating these rules could face fines amounting to either three percent of their global revenue or 10 million Canadian dollars. While several other countries have already banned social media platforms for children, no such regulations regarding chatbots are currently in place there.

Bans already in effect in these countries

Australia was the first to take the initiative by banning social media for children under the age of 16. Subsequently, several other countries began considering similar measures. In Greece, children under the age of 15 will be unable to access social media starting next year. Meanwhile, France, Denmark, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Spain are also preparing to enact similar legislation. There is growing global concern that social media is adversely affecting children's mental health, leading to issues such as depression.

Where does India stand on this matter?

In India, demands are being raised to ban social media for children, though the government has not yet made any statement regarding this. However, the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have announced restrictions on social media usage for children under the ages of 16 and 13, respectively.