Canada is posing new rules that would restrict social media access for children under 16. At first glance, it sounds like a debate about social media and AI chatbot apps, or whatever app comes next. But it is deeper.
Throughout human history, for the most part, responsibility was relatively clear: if a child was struggling in school, for example, parents or teachers were expected to step in and support the student. If a product was unsafe then governments can put regulations in place, if play areas were deemed unsafe communities can fix them, but social media is different, it does not fit into these examples easily. The companies that build these platforms are not responsible for raising children, parents cannot control the algorithms, and governments do not design the apps, yet children are exposed to it every day.
When a child spends hours a day on social media every day, who is responsible for their screen time, the child, the parent, the company that built the app, the government? The answer is not an easy one. The federal government is proposing a new act, Bill C-34. Social media companies would have legal responsibilities when it comes to protecting young users. Governments do not usually create new laws on a whim, the pressure builds up overtime, and then there comes a time where the existing rules no longer match reality. For many years governments implemented new laws: wear your seatbelt, do not drink and drive, but with the social media act it is different, it isn’t putting regulations on the people, it is putting them on the social media companies to ensure the safety and protection of children online. But here is the catch, if these companies can demonstrate these safety measures then they are exempt from the bill.
Humans have been through revolutions throughout history and now with the rapid rise of technology, it is challenging to build rules to govern the technology. Vehicles created traffic laws, factories created work safety laws, and now social media is creating a new generation of safety laws. Who carries responsibility when technology becomes powerful enough to shape behaviours, that is the debate.
Sources reviewed: CBC News, Government of Canada: Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act