OTTAWA – Meta has been actively lobbying the Canadian federal government for new regulations aimed at implementing age verification at the app store level. This proposed system would shift the responsibility for age verification away from individual platforms, such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, and place it on major app store operators like Apple and Google.
According to Rachel Curran, director of public policy for Meta Canada, the company has been advocating for this idea during discussions with both federal and provincial governments. In an interview, Curran expressed that Meta believes incorporating such measures into upcoming online safety legislation could significantly enhance protections for youth online. “We think it’s by far the most effective, privacy-protective, efficient way to determine a user’s age,” she stated.
The core proposal by Meta involves app stores signaling to app developers whether users are under or over 18 years old. This mechanism would enable Meta and other app developers to tailor user experiences according to age appropriateness. Curran noted that parents are already providing birth dates when setting up devices for their children and linking their accounts for purchase authorization.
Curran highlighted that over 20 U.S. states have already proposed or enacted similar legislation aimed at regulating app stores. “We know it’s workable, so we’re making the case that this is what we should do in Canada as well to better protect youth online,” she said, emphasizing the feasibility of the proposal.
In addition to its lobbying efforts, Meta has been implementing its own measures to enhance safety for younger users. These include the introduction of teen accounts on both Facebook and Instagram that feature parental controls. Curran revealed that these accounts would adhere to “PG-13” standards, ensuring that teens are not exposed to inappropriate content. Furthermore, similar restrictions will be applied to Meta's AI chatbots. The company has also been employing technology to assess user age by analyzing factors like social connections and content interactions.
While Curran described the feedback from the federal government as “generally quite positive,” she noted that provincial governments have expressed support but have jurisdictional concerns regarding the implementation of such legislation. Recently, a coalition of child advocates and medical organizations declared that the online dangers facing children constitute a national emergency, urging the government to reinstate the Online Harms Act, which was proposed by the Trudeau government but ultimately failed to become law.
The Liberal government has indicated that they will not reintroduce the Online Harms Act in its previous form. Instead, they plan to address various aspects of online harms through different legislative measures. Justice Minister Sean Fraser has announced intentions to present a bill containing provisions against online sexual exploitation and extortion. Additionally, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon alluded to a forthcoming privacy bill, expected to release in early December, which might include age restrictions on accessing AI chatbots for the protection of children.
The increasing popularity of AI chatbots has further magnified concerns regarding their impact on children. For instance, Megan Garcia initiated a lawsuit in Florida against Character.AI following the tragic suicide of her 14-year-old son. Speaking in Montreal recently, she called upon policymakers outside the United States to take action, asserting that such interventions could impose greater accountability on technology companies.
This report highlights the ongoing dialogue surrounding the need for stronger protections for youth in online spaces, particularly as the influence and presence of technology continue to expand in their lives.
