Carney government’s teenager social media ban the wrong approach: Consumers
Toronto, ON: The Consumer Choice Center is calling on the Carney government to go back to the drawing board when it comes to its plans to ban social media access for those under the age of 16 through the new Safe Social Media Act. Evidence from other countries shows that the ban is ineffective, raises significant privacy concerns, and tries to reassign the role of parents to the state. The legislation also gives significant new powers to a commission that writes, polices, and fines under rules Parliament never sees.
Jay Goldberg, the CCC’s North American Affairs Manager, commented on the new legislation.
“Banning those under the age of 16 from accessing social media has proven to be ineffective in countries like Australia and can actually harm teenagers. In Australia, which imposed its ban in December, five million accounts were deactivated, but studies show that at least 20 per cent of youth are back on social media through using tools like VPNs. Teenagers can find workarounds to access social media, but overall bans can be extremely harmful for those who choose not to, as it disconnects them from support groups, group chats, and mechanisms for staying in touch with distant friends or loved ones,” said Goldberg.
Social media bans also raise significant privacy concerns, as in order to verify the age of those under the age of 16, everyone is going to have to be verified in some way, causing risks for those over the age of 16.
Polling also shows that while keeping teenagers’ access to social media limited may be popular, most believe it should be parents, not the state, making the final call.
“A recent Angus Reid poll showed that 72 per cent of respondents felt that parents, rather than government, should be the ones deciding whether their kids should be on social media. Right now, there are all kinds of tools available to parents to limit screen time and app access. Active parenting, rather than an overactive federal government, is the best and most effective solution to guard against teenagers overusing social media. If parents want to keep their kids off social media, it should be their call, not Ottawa’s,” Goldberg added.