Most Canadians support social media ban for kids under 16: poll

A youth is pictured using his phone as he waits to cross the street in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

TORONTO — A new poll says most Canadians support banning social media for anyone under the age of 16. 

An Angus Reid survey says three-quarters of more than 4,000 respondents are in favour of a ban like the one in Australia, where youth under 16 are prevented from setting up accounts on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.

The survey also comes on the heels of 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 designed to be addictive.

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Social media age restrictions are on the agenda at the Liberals’ national convention next month, with calls to put the onus on tech platforms to prevent underage users from having accounts.

But the majority of those who support a full ban also believe that parents should be primarily responsible for regulating teens’ social media use, not governments. The pollster called this a “curious juxtaposition.” 

Almost all of the respondents say they are concerned about the impacts of social media, with 94 per cent worried about negative mental-health impacts. 

Addiction, excessive screen time, misinformation, online predators and cyberbullying are also among the top concerns noted by respondents. 

The survey was conducted online between March 11 and 17. The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys can’t be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

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

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press