Australia became the first country to ban social media for kids under 16 years old in November 2024, it appears that Canadians say they would support a similar law.
An Angus Reid Institute poll released Monday has found that "banning those under 16 from platforms would be well received by the vast majority of Canadians," with three-quarters (75 per cent) say they support a "full ban on social media use for anyone under the age of 16."
Among parents with kids in the household support is also strong at 70 per cent.
The number of those who would support a ban on social media for under-16s was highest in B.C. at 81 per cent and 77 per cent in Alberta. Support sat at 70 per cent in Saskatchewan, 72 per cent in Manitoba, 74 per cent in Ontario, 73 per cent in Quebec, and 76 per cent in Atlantic provinces.
A September 2025 Ipsos poll found an average of 71 per cent across 30 countries believe children under 14 "should not be able to access social media," with 74 per cent of school-age parents feeling the same.
Twenty-five per cent of those surveyed also stated that social media is a "top challenge" for young people.
The Angus Reid Institute has also signalled a growing concern for children potentially being exposed to misinformation (92 per cent concerned), cyberbullying (90 per cent), explicit content (85 per cent), negative mental health impacts (94 per cent) and addiction (94 per cent).
In addition, surveyed Canadians believe that TikTok (88 per cent), X/Twitter (86 per cent), and Snapchat (84 per cent) should be the platforms that should be banned for those under 16 years old. Forty-eight per cent would ban kids under 16 from YouTube as well.
Despite these findings, there was no consensus among Canadians as to what age would be the right one for kids to have access to social media.
The age of 16 was chosen at "the highest rate," by one-third (32 per cent); with near equal numbers say 10-12 (13 per cent), 14 (16 per cent), and 15 (13 per cent).
Nearly five million social media accounts belonging to Australian teenagers were deactivated just a month after the country's ban.
Since this decision, several Canadian provinces have expressed an interest in adapting similar legislature.
-with files from CBC
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