WINNIPEG: Following its recent crackdown on mobile phones, Manitoba’s ambitious new legislation to ban social media and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for youth could soon strip YouTube from school classrooms. The restriction aims to target platforms with highly addictive, algorithm-driven features, including apps specifically tailored for children like “YouTube Kids.” Provincial Premier Wab Kinew stated that YouTube will only be permitted in educational settings if the tech giant completely modifies its platform to eliminate these addictive engagement features.
Manitoba has positioned itself as the first Canadian province to pursue a comprehensive social media ban for youth under the age of 16. Spearheaded by the provincial government, the initial phase of this sweeping policy is slated to roll out directly within the school system. This regional crackdown comes as the Canadian federal government seriously contemplates implementing a similar, nationwide ban to keep young children off social media networks and AI chatbot applications altogether.
The proposed policy has already drawn a sharp defense from major tech conglomerates. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, responded by arguing that outright bans are ineffective at deterring youth from online spaces and highlighted the technical limitations of age-verification software. In a stern rebuttal, Premier Wab Kinew declared that his government will not allow tech corporations to exploit children’s personal data under the guise of age checks, emphasizing that Manitoba is prepared to enforce unprecedented financial penalties against tech oligarchs who profit at the expense of a child’s development.
