Should Canada follow the lead of Australia and ban kids under the age of 16 from using social media platforms? According to a new Angus Reid survey, the answer is a resounding yes, with 75 per cent saying they support a full ban.
Among parents with kids in the household, that number falls a bit, but still stands at a strong 70 per cent.
Angus Reid president, Shachi Kurl, wasn’t necessarily surprised by the findings.
“There is tremendous amount of concern and anxiety around the impacts of social media on young people, particularly around being exposed to misinformation, impacts on their mental health, impacts in terms of misogynistic or other hate-related content or even radicalization,” she told CityNews on Monday morning.
The landmark law in Australia banning minors under 16 from accessing 10 major social media platforms went into effect on December 10, 2025, with fines in the tens of millions for companies that fail to comply.
Kurl believes if Canada wants to follow suit, the changes should be considered in a timely fashion, citing momentum from Australia’s ban and a recent case in the United States where a jury found Meta-owned Instagram and Google’s YouTube liable in a social media addiction trial.
“I think clearly there is a green light being given to government in terms of public opinion, Canadians are looking at the ban in Australia, they are digesting the news of that (META lawsuit), and I think clearly they are worried about their children, grandchildren, young people … and even if you don’t have a child in the household you’re looking at what’s happening to the next generation and saying ‘you know, some of this content may not be suitable to put it lightly,’ for people whose brains have not fully formed.”
“I know it’s intended to come up at the Liberal convention next month, but in terms of a window to take action, it’s there right now,” she stressed.
When asked about a potential ban similar to Australia’s earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney said it was a topic that “merits an open and considered debate in Canada.”
He hinted that age restrictions would be considered at some point.
“We’re in a position, though, as a country, where our legislation … with respect to online harms, the exploitation of children, is lagging,” he said while visiting Japan. “There is a need to at minimum … catch up to that. Naturally, this issue of the age of majority would be part of the consideration of that.”
The Angus Reid survey also found that most Canadians (61 per cent) don’t believe teens are capable of using the platforms responsibly.
While a government-enforced ban seems popular, even more people surveyed said the responsibility for regulating social media use should fall to the parents (72 per cent) rather than governments (20 per cent).
More key findings from Angus survey
- When those who want under-16’s banned only from certain apps are asked which social media should be verboten, TikTok (88%), X/Twitter (86%), and Snapchat (84%) are at the top of the list. Only half (48%) would ban kids under 16 from YouTube.
- There is no consensus among Canadians as to what age is the right one for kids to have access to social media. The age of 16 is chosen at the highest rate, by one-third (32%); near equal numbers say 10-12 (13%), 14 (16%), and 15 (13%).
- One-third (32%) say AI companies like OpenAI should be required to report user activity to Canadian authorities if it’s “potentially illegal”. More (45%) say they should only be required to do so if it is illegal. This question has gained particular relevance in Canada after the suspect in the Tumbler Ridge shooting was banned by OpenAI seven months prior to the incident, but had not caused OpenAI to alert authorities because the account did not meet the company’s threshold for “credible and imminent planning” of serious violence.
Methodology: The Angus Reid survey was conducted online between March 11 and 17, 2026, among a randomized sample of 4,005 Canadian adults. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to region, gender, age, household income, and education, based on the Canadian census. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
With files from The Canadian Press
