Saskatchewan to ask residents for views on banning social media for children under 16

REGINA — Premier Scott Moe says his government is planning to ask Saskatchewan residents their view on banning social media for children under 16.

“Prime Minister (Mark Carney) … had indicated it’s likely time for this debate. I very much agree with that,” Moe told reporters Monday.

“It’s time for us to have a conversation about social media use in our youth, in our students.”

The premier pointed to a poll by Angus Reid that suggested a majority of Canadians support a ban similar to the one in Australia.

Australia became the first country to prevent youth under 16 from setting up accounts on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.

The poll also suggests many who support a full ban also believe that parents — not governments — should be primarily responsible for regulating teens’ social media use.

The survey also comes after a ruling in California last week ordering Meta and YouTube to pay millions in damages to a 20-year-old woman after a jury decided the platforms were addictive.

Moe said while there are no formal plans or proposed policy changes at this time, the province wants to have a conversation with residents.

“What we’re thinking of is engaging parents and people across this province (on) what space should the government enter into,” he said.

“Should we entertain … an outright ban for students and kids 16 years and under? Or should there be a parental consent portion?”

He added it would be more effective for Ottawa to impose changes nationally, rather than Saskatchewan go it alone.

“We were, I think, happy to see that the prime minister was open to that conversation,” he said.

Social media age restrictions are on the agenda at the Liberals’ national convention next month.

Earlier this month, Carney said he had not made up his mind on the issue, but that it should be debated.

He added that the federal government needs to pass online harms legislation and that the question of an “age of majority” for social media would be part of that discussion.

“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 at the time.

“There is a need to at minimum … catch up to that. Naturally, this issue of an age of majority would be part of the consideration of that.”

Last year, a committee of Quebec legislature members recommended that social media accounts be barred for youth under 14 unless they have the consent of a parent or guardian.

The recommendation was in the final report of the all-party committee studying the effect of screen time on young people’s health.

The report acknowledged that some platforms already have age limits, and that young people are frequently able to get around them, but the recommendation sends a signal to parents and the public about the risks of social media.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2026.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press