Kids under 14 should be banned from social media unless parents consent, Quebec committee says

Quebec youth under the age of 14 should not be able to open social media accounts without their parents’ consent, a committee recommends.

Youth under the age of 14 should not be able to open social media accounts without their parents’ consent, a cross-party committee at Quebec’s National Assembly has recommended.

The Select Committee on the Impacts of Screens and Social Media on Young People’s Health and Development has been studying the effects of screens on young people over the past year.

On Thursday, the committee submitted a lengthy final report to the National Assembly, containing no fewer than 56 recommendations.

The report makes broad appeals to parents, who should, in particular: set a good example when it comes to screen time, avoid exposing their children to screens before bedtime, and ban screens in the bedroom.

Parents should also avoid using screens to calm or distract their children, prohibit the use of screens during meals, encourage their children to be physically active, and better protect their privacy, according to the committee.

“When I asked the question, ‘Who would like to do more activities with their parents?’ 100 per cent of the hands went up,” said committee member and Liberal MNA Enrico Ciccone at a press conference Thursday, recalling his visit he made to a school.

“We’re not pointing the finger at parents because they can’t go camping on the weekend. That’s not what we’re saying, but ... parents need to be aware that their children want to do more activities with them.”

As indicated in its interim report submitted last April, the committee also recommends banning cellphones throughout the school, including on school grounds, starting in September.

On May 1, Education Minister Bernard Drainville welcomed this recommendation with “great openness and interest.”

In addition, the committee recommends banning microtransactions in video games aimed at minors, such as Fortnite, as well as targeted advertising aimed at children under 14.

According to Alexandre Leduc, a Québec solidaire MNA, young people sometimes spend thousands of dollars in a short period of time.

“I remember a young person who told us that he had spent $4,000 in two years on the game Fortnite,” he said at the press conference.

Before submitting its report, the cross-party committee heard from 66 individuals and organizations during consultations and received 74 briefs.

It also visited around 20 schools in 13 different cities, where it met with approximately 500 youth.

Major digital platforms refused to testify before the committee.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 27, 2025.

By Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press