Earlier this month, as Liberals gathered in Montreal for their policy convention, much of the news that came out of the convention focused on floor-crossings and impending byelections that would soon deliver Prime Minister Mark Carney his coveted majority.

But Liberals decided to both consider and support a number of important policies that, if implemented, could have major implications for Canadians. One such policy is a social media ban for youth under the age of 16. The wording of the policy resolution was to set a “minimum age of 16 for creating social media accounts” and put the responsibility on social media companies “to prevent underage users from holding accounts.”

JAY GOLDBERG: Australia-style youth social media ban wrong approach Back to video

While some policies ratified by members at policy conventions don’t necessarily turn out to become government policy, this proposal just might.

‘Serious’ consideration

Within days of the conclusion of the Liberal Convention, Carney government ministers were openly talking about moving forward with an Australia-like ban on social media access for those under 16 years of age. Culture Minister Marc Miller says Ottawa is “very seriously” considering moving forward with such a proposal.

His colleagues also suggested it was important for the Carney government to give serious consideration to policies ratified by Liberal party members.

But before moving forward with an Australian-like ban, it’s important to consider the evidence from Australia thus far. Since Australia’s law took effect last December, nearly five million accounts belonging to Australian teenagers have collectively been deactivated.

What does that mean in practice? Millions of kids have been cut off from friend networks, group chats, sports communities, and social circles that took years to build. And it wasn’t because their parents decided it was best for their kids to get off of social media: it was because disconnected politicians in a faraway capital made the decision.

Australia’s new law is also already facing a High Court challenge. No doubt a similar law in Canada would face a Charter test. Then there’s the issue of enforceability. Early data suggests as much as 20% of Australian teenagers are still accessing social media apps by using VPNs or other censorship-resistant technologies. That will likely rise with time, and surely that experience would be replicated here in Canada.

There are also issues with privacy. By forcing social media companies to verify a person’s age, everyone’s age has to be verified. That would likely mean issuing ID for anyone who wants to interact with social media.

Far from creating a safer internet, forcing every adult to prove their age just to access social media is a recipe for more hacks, more leaks, and putting more online users into harm’s way.

Plus, the scientific research to support such a ban just isn’t there. JMIR Mental Health found insufficient evidence to support blanket bans as means of trying to improve youth mental health. There are important online support groups for those facing adversity or disabilities that are being cut off in Australia today because of its law.

The other thing is that social media bans until the age of 16 don’t actually prepare youth for adult life in the digital age. It merely delays the inevitable while removing tools, community, and parental guidance that could help them navigate it.

What, then, is the alternative?

Focusing on empowering parents, who actually already have all kinds of tools available to them. Parents can already set screen time limits, review account settings, and make decisions for their children based on their age and maturity. Parental involvement is the key to ensuring kids can grow into the digital age in a responsible way, not the heavy and arbitrary hand of big government.

Following Australia’s lead would lead to social disconnect, Charter challenges, and major privacy issues, while failing to prepare kids for the digital age. The solution to today’s problems lies in active parenting, not more active government.

Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center

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