Manitoba moves to ban kids' accounts

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says his government will ban young people from using social media accounts and artificial intelligence chatbots. (cbc.ca) (winnipeg.citynews.ca) Kinew announced the plan on Saturday, April 25, at a New Democratic Party fundraiser in Winnipeg, calling the measure a first for any Canadian province. He said the province wants to shield children from platforms he argued are engineered to maximize engagement. (cbc.ca) (globalnews.ca) He did not say what age group the ban would cover, how Manitoba would enforce it, or when legislation would be introduced. The legislature is scheduled to sit for four more weeks before a summer break and return at the end of September. (winnipeg.citynews.ca) (cbc.ca) The proposal goes beyond a typical school phone rule. It targets accounts on social platforms and access to conversational artificial intelligence tools, pushing the fight over children’s online use from classrooms into platform design and account creation. (cbc.ca) (bloomberglaw.com) Manitoba is moving as Ottawa weighs similar restrictions. Federal Culture Minister Marc Miller said on April 15 the government was “very seriously” considering limits on young Canadians’ access to social media and AI chatbots after Liberal members backed a non-binding resolution setting 16 as the minimum age. (cbc.ca 1) (cbc.ca 2) Other provinces are circling the issue too. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has said his government will ask the public about a ban for children under 16, while a Quebec legislature committee last year recommended barring social media accounts for youth under 14 without parental consent. (winnipeg.citynews.ca) Australia is the clearest model Manitoba has pointed to. Under Australian rules now in effect, many platforms cannot let people under 16 create or keep accounts, and the obligation falls on platforms to take reasonable steps to stop it. (esafety.gov.au) (youth.gov.au) That comparison also highlights the hardest part of Manitoba’s plan: verification. Australia’s law took effect on December 10, 2025, and its privacy guidance says platforms cannot force users to use a government-accredited Digital ID to prove they are 16 or older. (youth.gov.au) (digitalidsystem.gov.au) Kinew framed the measure as a child-safety issue, citing anxiety, depression and exploitation risks. Teenagers interviewed by Canadian outlets said a blanket ban could also cut off tools they use for learning and staying in touch with friends. (globalnews.ca) (ca.news.yahoo.com) For now, Manitoba has announced a direction, not a bill. The next test is whether Kinew’s government turns that speech into a law with an age limit, an enforcement system and a way to make global platforms comply. (cbc.ca) (winnipeg.citynews.ca)