Bill 138, Social Media Age Restriction Plan Act, 2026
Introduced in the first chamber, dated , as of .
A social media and minors rule binding government bodies.
- Criminal exposure
- No
- Private right of action
- No
- Audit expectation
- none
As of .
Where it has got to
The text described here is Bill 138, Original (print as introduced). That print is b138_e, published .
Locally, this stage is First Reading, Ordered for Second Reading.
The stage above is recorded at www.ola.org.
Introduced as a private member's bill. The bill's status page lists First Reading on , with the bill ordered for Second Reading, and no later stage.
What it requires
- This bill has not been enacted and is at first reading in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; what follows is what it would require if passed in this form. It would bind the Minister of Health, or the member of the Executive Council to whom the Act is assigned, and not a social media service.
- The Minister must develop a written plan respecting social media use for people under the age of 16.
- The plan must set out a strategy to work with the Government of Canada to ban social media for people under the age of 16, the policies the Government of Ontario will implement to ensure that age restrictions on social media are enforced in Ontario, with timelines, and policies for monitoring social media providers to ensure that they are in compliance with age restriction policies.
- In developing the plan, the Minister must consult the Minister of Education, the Federal Minister of Health, and school boards, school councils and teachers.
- The Minister must table the plan in the Legislative Assembly within one year after the section comes into force, and must ensure that it is implemented in accordance with any timelines set out in the plan.
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
None. The bill creates no regulator or enforcement power; the Minister of Health, or the member of the Executive Council to whom the Act is assigned, would develop the plan, table it and ensure that it is implemented.
What it reaches
Covered services
None directly: the Minister of Health would develop the plan. The plan would concern social media use by people under the age of 16 and the monitoring of social media providers.
What this law does
Would require the Minister of Health to develop a plan respecting social media use for people under the age of 16.
The plan would have to set out a strategy to work with the Government of Canada to ban social media for people under the age of 16, the policies the Government of Ontario will implement to ensure that age restrictions on social media are enforced in Ontario, with timelines, and policies for monitoring social media providers to ensure that they are in compliance with age restriction policies.
The Minister would have to consult the Minister of Education, the Federal Minister of Health, and school boards, school councils and teachers in developing the plan. The plan would have to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly within one year after the section comes into force, and the Minister would have to ensure that it is implemented in accordance with any timelines it sets out.
Every duty in the bill runs to the Minister, who is the Minister of Health or such other member of the Executive Council to whom the administration of the Act is assigned.