The Canadian cultural minister announced on Wednesday new laws aimed at prohibiting individuals younger than 16 from accessing social media platforms and mandating artificial intelligence-based conversation systems to restrict creation of damaging material.
The newly introduced Digital Safety Act positions Canada as the most recent nation joining a global trend of implementing stricter regulations against social media companies due to worries about their impact on young people.
"we have witnessed the severe impacts that online dangers can cause... ensuring children's safety must not be overlooked," stated Culture Minister Marc Miller in a declaration introducing the plan.
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The law would prohibit social media accounts for individuals below the age of 16, according to the statement, which also mentioned that there could be an exception "route" for businesses if they prove "adequate protections" for young people.
Online social media platforms, such as those offering explicit material, would be required by the legislation to "reduce dangers linked to exposure" to different types of damaging information and implement tags for artificially created content.
The final rules will be implemented by a Digital Safety Commission, which could impose penalties on non-compliant businesses amounting to 3 percent of their worldwide income or C$10 million (US$7.2 million).
"This law aims to create a more secure setting for young Canadians, enabling them to meet face-to-face, form relationships, concentrate on their studies, and develop practical abilities needed to succeed," stated Health Minister Marjorie Michel in a press release.
Professor Sachin Maharaj from the University of Ottawa described the plan as "a move in the correct direction," highlighting "an acknowledgment that social media relates to behavioral and societal challenges."
Clearly, children will discover ways to bypass" limitations, he stated. "However, the true difficulty lies in altering how the applications function.
Besides the social media restriction, the new legislation would also oversee ever-present AI chatbots by mandating businesses to "reduce the likelihood of the chatbot sharing damaging information."
Firms would also be required to maintain openness regarding "reporting limits during emergencies," for instance, when a user plans to cause self-harm or endanger someone else.
The matter has been especially delicate in Canada after a tragic incident in April resulted in nine fatalities in the remote mining community of Tumbler Ridge, with the perpetrator among the victims.
OpenAI encountered significant backlash following its decision to block a shooter from its service in June of last year due to concerning discussions on ChatGPT. However, the company chose not to inform Canadian authorities as it found no indication of an immediate threat.
In December, Australia made history as the first nation globally to mandate that platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and others delete user accounts belonging to individuals under 16 years old, with significant penalties for non-compliance.
Indonesia started implementing its own restriction on social media usage for individuals below 16 years old in March, as some European countries have expressed interest in taking comparable actions.
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