REGINA — Premier Scott Moe says his government is planning to ask Saskatchewan residents their view on banning social media for children under 16.
“Australia has moved in this direction,” Moe said Monday in a post on X. “Canada should be considering options to limit social media use by minors.”
The premier also 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’s office said in a statement Monday that there are no formal plans or proposed policy changes at this time.
“The intent is to informally gauge interest and bring visibility to an issue many families are thinking about,” spokesman Christian Kainz said in an email.
“The government is considering further options to hear from Saskatchewan people on this important issue and will have more to say on that in the coming weeks.”
Social media age restrictions are on the agenda at the Liberals’ national convention next month.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark 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.
— By Daniela Germano in Edmonton
The Canadian Press
