Canada’s first steps towards a social media ban
From The Decibel by The Globe and Mail
June 12, 2026 · 27 min
About this episode
The episode discusses Canada's Safe Social Media Act and its implications for online safety and regulation.
The government’s new Safe Social Media Act, introduced on Wednesday, will require social media companies to block users below the age of 16 from having accounts on their platforms in a move to address online safety. The ban itself is not imminent – the bill has to pass first – but its introduction begs the question: what does a well regulated internet look like? And is that a balance this government is striking? Dr. Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law. He’ll take us through the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation, and what he thinks is needed to keep children – and all Canadians – protected online.
People in this episode
Guest: Dr. Michael Geist
Topics covered
- social media
- online safety
- legislation
- youth protection
- internet regulation
Keywords
- social media ban
- children protection
- internet law
- Canada
- online safety
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Ottawa, The Globe and Mail, government
Books & works: Safe Social Media Act
More episodes of The Decibel
- Pierre Poilievre: An interview, in full · June 13, 2026 · 58 min
- The risks and rewards of the IPO hype in Canada · June 11, 2026 · 23 min
- World Cup 2026: Breakout stars, dark horses and Canada’s chances · June 10, 2026 · 26 min
- Is smoking making a comeback? · June 9, 2026 · 24 min
- Carney’s plan for AI in Canada, explained · June 8, 2026 · 23 min
- Patrolling the Arctic with the Canadian military · June 5, 2026 · 27 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Decibel podcast page.