If the Nova Scotia Liberals get their way, children under 16 in the province will be barred from social media use.
The party announced Wednesday that Liberal House leader Iain Rankin will table the Social Media Responsibility Act this fall. While the bill would be the first of its kind in Canada, similar legislation is in place on a national level in Australia, coming into effect in December, and in a public consultation phase in Norway.
“Protecting our kids from the harms of social media is a responsibility we all share,” he said.
“This bill will ensure that children under 16 are not exposed to harmful content or interactions that can have lifelong impacts on their mental health.”
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The tabling of the proposed bill will come a year after new rules surrounding cellphone use in public schools came into effect, with the Liberals calling the social media legislation “the next step.”
Jenna Poste, co-founder of the Nova Scotia chapter of Unplugged Canada – a group that aims to delay the use of smartphones and social media among children – calls the proposed legislation a “crucial step forward in protecting children online.”
“Parents across the country are calling for action, and this is exactly the kind of leadership we need. Nova Scotia is recognizing the real and urgent harms social media is having on youth mental health and creating a model for others to follow.ˮ
Unplugged Canada previously started a nationwide petition to raise the age of social media use.
The Nova Scotia Liberals have just two seats in the house of assembly, so the bill’s passage would require support from the provincial NDP and the majority Progressive Conservatives.
— with a file from The Associated Press
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