The under-16 social media ban marks the end of the open UK internet

Quoting: CaldathrasAh, speaking to a fellow Canadian. What can we do between elections to control our government? The federal government/politicians have done everything they can to prevent it. We have no MP recall. The modern politician ignores citizen protests or invokes the Emergencies Act to silence them. Referendums are pointless, as the federal government does not have to legally implement or follow the results of a referendum. It's basically just a poll. (Look it up, like I did. Referendums, in most provinces, are binding, but not at the federal level.) So, what recourse - other than elections - do Canadian citizens have to influence and control the Canadian government?

The politicians gave themselves raises exactly because they knew that Canadian citizens are powerless to do anything about it. I agree that $209.8K for a MP backbencher is obscene. On the flip-side, at the local government level where I live, our elected officials are only paid $28.9K annually (as of 2023). It used to be $12.9K before that.

Ah, asking the important questions.

For starters, mass political ignorance is a huge problem here. Ask a random person on the street to name a single person in Mark Carney's cabinet, and I bet you most of them wouldn't be able to name a single person - nevermind the details of what our provincial and federal governments are even doing. On the flipside, ask them about American politics, and I guarantee you they'll talk your ear off about all the things they saw on American TV. They'll tell you all about the American problems that American TV likes to report on... and sadly, I really do believe that most people here vote for our Prime Minister based entirely on what goes on in the United States. It's pathetic. We like tell ourselves that we're proud of our country, but the truth is that the majority of us think so little of ourselves that we actually believe that another country is in charge of our own destiny. Most people either did not care about the Emergencies Act, don't even know that it happened, or if they did know about it, don't understand why its illegal use is a big deal and how it affects them. I hate to say it, but Canadian citizens themselves are a bigger threat to us than our government is. How do we fix this? Holy shit... well... I'll let you know if I figure that out.

Quoting: Slaxer

Quoting: CaldathrasAh, speaking to a fellow Canadian. What can we do between elections to control our government? The federal government/politicians have done everything they can to prevent it. We have no MP recall. The modern politician ignores citizen protests or invokes the Emergencies Act to silence them. Referendums are pointless, as the federal government does not have to legally implement or follow the results of a referendum. It's basically just a poll. (Look it up, like I did. Referendums, in most provinces, are binding, but not at the federal level.) So, what recourse - other than elections - do Canadian citizens have to influence and control the Canadian government?

The politicians gave themselves raises exactly because they knew that Canadian citizens are powerless to do anything about it. I agree that $209.8K for a MP backbencher is obscene. On the flip-side, at the local government level where I live, our elected officials are only paid $28.9K annually (as of 2023). It used to be $12.9K before that.

Ah, asking the important questions.

For starters, mass political ignorance is a huge problem here. Ask a random person on the street to name a single person in Mark Carney's cabinet, and I bet you most of them wouldn't be able to name a single person - nevermind the details of what our provincial and federal governments are even doing. On the flipside, ask them about American politics, and I guarantee you they'll talk your ear off about all the things they saw on American TV. They'll tell you all about the American problems that American TV likes to report on... and sadly, I really do believe that most people here vote for our Prime Minister based entirely on what goes on in the United States. It's pathetic. We like tell ourselves that we're proud of our country, but the truth is that the majority of us think so little of ourselves that we actually believe that another country is in charge of our own destiny. Most people either did not care about the Emergencies Act, don't even know that it happened, or if they did know about it, don't understand why its illegal use is a big deal and how it affects them. I hate to say it, but Canadian citizens themselves are a bigger threat to us than our government is. How do we fix this? Holy shit... well... I'll let you know if I figure that out.

Read this to my wife. She feels that the only way to fix this would be to reintroduce a civics class into school curriculum, like they used to have decades ago when her father was a child. She also thinks it's unlikely to happen, just like old-school home economics.

Quoting: CaldathrasRead this to my wife. She feels that the only way to fix this would be to reintroduce a civics class into school curriculum, like they used to have decades ago when her father was a child. She also thinks it's unlikely to happen, just like old-school home economics.

I agree with your wife, that would be a great start, but how would we convince our public school districts to include this in the school curriculum? Our provincial governments have control over that. I dunno what it's like in your province, but the government here in BC loves to preach about how Canada is a terrible racist country that deserves self-hatred because it's fundamentally racist, and will continue to be racist forever. Obviously, this is not true, but this is what they like to remind people everyday.

Even though the Canadian government is required to post our Constitution (both the Constitution act of 1867 and 1982) on the government website, I really do believe that they don't want you looking into that too much. They don't want you to know anything about sections 1 and 33 of the Constitution Act of 1982 (and I'm paraphrasing here) where it basically says that Canadians have basic rights and freedoms, UNTIL a judge decides that we don't. What's the problem with that? Our judges are appointed by the Governor General based on the advice of our Prime Minister... which means the judges in our country will all favour our Prime Minister and his party - which then means that our rights and freedoms are just make-believe. This was demonstrated when NOBODY went to jail for implementing martial law because a bunch of people waved Canadian flags and ate hot dogs on the streets of Ottawa in 2022. It's a joke.

I love Canada, but I definitely don't like it right now. Either way... we'll make it somehow.

Quoting: Slaxer

Quoting: CaldathrasRead this to my wife. She feels that the only way to fix this would be to reintroduce a civics class into school curriculum, like they used to have decades ago when her father was a child. She also thinks it's unlikely to happen, just like old-school home economics.

I agree with your wife, that would be a great start, but how would we convince our public school districts to include this in the school curriculum? Our provincial governments have control over that. I dunno what it's like in your province, but the government here in BC loves to preach about how Canada is a terrible racist country that deserves self-hatred because it's fundamentally racist, and will continue to be racist forever. Obviously, this is not true, but this is what they like to remind people everyday.

Even though the Canadian government is required to post our Constitution (both the Constitution act of 1867 and 1982) on the government website, I really do believe that they don't want you looking into that too much. They don't want you to know anything about sections 1 and 33 of the Constitution Act of 1982 (and I'm paraphrasing here) where it basically says that Canadians have basic rights and freedoms, UNTIL a judge decides that we don't. What's the problem with that? Our judges are appointed by the Governor General based on the advice of our Prime Minister... which means the judges in our country will all favour our Prime Minister and his party - which then means that our rights and freedoms are just make-believe. This was demonstrated when NOBODY went to jail for implementing martial law because a bunch of people waved Canadian flags and ate hot dogs on the streets of Ottawa in 2022. It's a joke.

I love Canada, but I definitely don't like it right now. Either way... we'll make it somehow.

Yep. It is the provincial governments that define the public school curriculum. And I agree that, with an idealogy-driven social activist as Premier, it would probably be very difficult to get a civics class into the curriculum.

Last edited by Caldathras on 16 Jun 2026 at 7:27 pm UTC

Quoting: CaldathrasYep. It is the provincial governments that define the public school curriculum. And I agree that, with an idealogy-driven social activist as Premier, it would probably be very difficult to get a civics class into the curriculum.

Whenever I think about it, I'm still in shock over how the majority of us have continued to elect the same people over and over again despite how bad things have become. At 159 years old, Canada's a very young country - and very naive. We never had to fight the British to gain our "independence", and we've never had to go through anything in our history that truly made us ask ourselves what we actually value... until maybe now. I believe everything we're going through right now is a test that all successful countries have gone through to become who they are. If we pass this test, Canada will go on to be the best that it's ever been. I think we've just gotten lucky, and have had it easy for way too long.

Quoting: CaldathrasWhen I was in high school in the mid-eighties, my English teacher ran a segment that taught us how to recognize the manner in which advertising was manipulating us. It worked for me. For the longest time, I thought this was part of the official curriculum but I learned that this was never part of many Canadian educations, including my wife's education. I am grateful that my English teacher had the courage to add this to his course.

We never had that. That sounds fun though, I would've loved that course.

Quoting: SlaxerWhenever I think about it, I'm still in shock over how the majority of us have continued to elect the same people over and over again despite how bad things have become.

Lack of valuable alternatives? Personnally, I just can't relate to the values of the Reform party... Euh... Sorry... Conservative Party. And Poilievre is just a huge no-go. They are ruled out, right from the start. What's left? NPD? If you dislike interventionism, it's hardly a choice. Right now, Carney is probably the most centrist, in years, in the Liberal party. But everytime I have to vote, I must admit that I'm voting reluctantly.

Quoting: eggroleWhile I don't think an <16-year-old should be on social media, I don't think it is the government's job to make that call. That is up to the parents. Now, you can argue there are bad parents, but that is the cost of freedom. Freedom to mess up.

You could also argue that there are bad drivers, and road kills are just the cost of freedom. The state shouldn’t require a driving licence, or sober driving!

Except one’s freedom to mess up does not extend to other people’s lives. Children are among the most vulnerable citizens and those who have the most to lose in terms of life expectancy. As citizens, they are entitled to the same protections. They are not property that one is free to abuse because of "ownership" (my child, my choice). Yes, the government should protect them from literally toxic environments, and no, being a parent does not automatically mean that one knows better than every subject matter expert.

Quoting: eggroleWhat are the costs of children smoking or drinking? What are the costs of a nanny state when people don't learn to take care of themselves (moral hazzard)? What are the costs of a bad parent? I don't have answers to those questions, but my gut reaction is always to limit what the government can do, especially when it comes to individuals.

And the costs themselves are not only one sided. For example how much does it cost the taxpayer when a child smokes? How much does it cost the taxpayer to prevent a child from smoking? A lot of bleeding heart types will say things like "no cost is too great to protect the child", but that simply isn't the case in a world of limited resources.

Provided that your country has public healthcare (and it really, really should), it’s already been shown, probably many times in many countries, that it’s cheaper to stop people from smoking than treat them (and people exposed to second-hand smoke) for smoking-related diseases through the course of their lives. It’s fun to complain about a nanny state for imposing rules that you don’t like, but it’s that same nanny state (aka every taxpayer) that has to pay when you "mess up", so it’s understandable that it tries to promote behaviours that don’t have a negative impact not only on yourself but also everyone else. As you mentioned, we don’t have infinite resources to undo the damage of irresponsible or outright dangerous individuals. The government isn’t a company and shouldn’t act like one, but it still needs to balance a budget.

Quoting: MohandevirLack of valuable alternatives? Personnally, I just can't relate to the values of the Reform party... Euh... Sorry... Conservative Party. And Poilievre is just a huge no-go. They are ruled out, right from the start. What's left? NPD? If you dislike interventionism, it's hardly a choice. Right now, Carney is probably the most centrist, in years, in the Liberal party. But everytime I have to vote, I must admit that I'm voting reluctantly.

I'm not gonna tell you who to vote for.

However...

• if you're not ok with our national debt and level of inflation (checked again, it's hovering around $2 Trillion), and how most of that debt accumulated within the last 10 years


• if you're not ok with the fact that our government doesn't seem to care about how much they're spending without any regard to how they're gonna pay any of it back


• if you care about the fact that a $1 in 2026 is worth half as much as it used to in 1995 ($0.52)


• if you're concerned about the tyrannical nature of the bills our government has introduced to parliament within the past year because they all have something to do with limiting the way we can use the internet and what topics we're allowed to talk about openly


• if you care about the fact that one (or maybe two) of our provinces are so unhappy that they're considering secession because our government has caused a division among our people at a level we've never seen


• if you care about how euthanasia is now one of the leading causes of death in Canada


• if you care about the fact that the deadliest mass murders in Canadian history have all occurred within the last 10 years


• if you've noticed the sharp rise of the number of homeless people suffering from fentanyl addiction at our major cities


• if you remember what life was like 10-15 years ago, and you remember that people weren't always at each other's throats, things were actually affordable, we weren't told to be ashamed of ourselves everyday - and when you take the time to compare what you remember to present reality of what our country has become - and you know in your heart that something has gone horribly wrong with this place...

...Then maybe it's time to rethink everything you think you believe, everything you've been told about what to believe, question everything you think you know, and challenge yourself to change. Again, I won't tell you who to vote for... but here's what I am willing to tell you, Carney and the Liberal party are not "centrist". A centrist would not introduce a bill that gives power to the government to detain you for a crime that they think you MIGHT commit, not one that you actually did commit (Bill C-63). This is a violation of the right to due process and the legal concept that someone is innocent until proven guilty - a concept that is one of the basic tenets of human rights. That is some hardcore shit that we've only seen in history textbooks that describe the worst dictatorships of the 20th century... the parts of the textbooks we read in school and smugly think to ourselves, "Nah, that'll never happen here, this is Canada" - but here we are in 2026, and here's a bill that'll do exactly that.

Having said all of that, just ask yourself this - Do you like the way things are going? If you genuinely don't believe that there's anything wrong with the country right now, then don't change a damn thing and carry on.

As for the Brits, a lot of what I said probably applies to the UK too.

Quoting: Slaxer

• if you care about how euthanasia is now one of the leading causes of death in Canada

I did not know that, that’s amazing news! When it was introduced, I was worried it would be so hard to obtain it would only be a theoretical option for most people. I can’t believe it took us so long to have a legal, dignified way out.

Quoting: SalvatosI did not know that, that’s amazing news! When it was introduced, I was worried it would be so hard to obtain it would only be a theoretical option for most people. I can’t believe it took us so long to have a legal, dignified way out.

... you might wanna look up the reasons for why people are applying for euthanasia. Some people have applied for it simply because they can't afford the cost of living anymore... and then the government said, "Sure, we'll hook you up". They are also going to be expanding its eligibility to officially include the mentally ill, and to those suffering from depression in 2027.

O Canada! :)

Ok. Let's stop it. I read all I needed to. I know what I'm dealing with.

Alright, let's get back on topic.

I feel conflicted about it.

As sad as it is, free-spirited internet I grew up with and love from 2005-2012 is no more. It was already changing around 2015, and in 2020 laid the ground work to where we are today. If I had a child now, I would not permit the use of (a)social media until 14 and educate first before use.

If the general consensus is "yeah social media used to be good, but it's ruined and the companies aren't willing to give up on the manipulation", then I understand the position of the government to to ban it for those ages.

I worry though for children with sickness or dysfunctional families causing them to only have online friends, effectively cutting their ability to cope with the situation they are in. Sadly I've seen many such cases.

As a parent of four kids, i absolute can relate to the "omg we have to do SOMETHING" idea. The impact this social media can have on kids continues to blow my mind even as an already sceptic user. One kid simply does not care about social media hypes at all, its younger sister is absolutely obsessed by it. We really tried all the things you might come up with as parents, but we can´t change the fact that some random influencer seems to know everything better than these stupid parents (us, even in areas where we really are professionals in).
In short, trying to "educate" and "control" media usage on kids is one of the most time consuming and annoying things as a parent.
But.
Even with all that, nothing on this intent to social media et al is
a) helpful
b) practical and
c) anywhere in scope.
I don't get it. There are companies making billions with their stuff, but they claim that they can´t keep their service just a little bit more in control? Come on. They even put fuel to it, because there are more profits to claim.

Quoting: nohurryAlright, let's get back on topic.

Yes, what I've brought up is a little bit off-path, but analyzing what our governments have been up to provides context on what we can reasonably assume is their motivation for deploying government imposed age restrictions on the internet.

Some of the countries that already have or will impose age restrictions on social media:
United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
France
United States (some states, though there has been effort at the federal level)
New Zealand
Turkey
Greece
Denmark
Germany

As I've said in my first post, take note that all this interest towards "protecting children" has spontaneously appeared within 2025-2026. Vim vs Emacs, Nvidia vs AMD, iphone vs Android, domestics vs imports, GabeN vs Sweeney, Debian vs Fedora. If you got a bunch of nerds in a room together, you'd have yourself a nerd fight. They're guaranteed to fight over the dumbest shit, and it takes time and a conscious effort to negotiate to convince everyone to row the boat in the same direction.

Now out of the goodness of their heart, these politicians across different nations who usually waste everyone's time arguing and bullshitting everyone suddenly believe that they all need to get together to protect children from Facebook. In Canada if you're loud enough, our politicians will freeze your bank account, get you fired from your job, and throw you into a cage if they don't like your opinion. If you honestly believe that these people care about your kids, you are on fucking crack.

Last edited by Slaxer on 17 Jun 2026 at 9:08 pm UTC

Quoting: SlaxerIn Canada if you're loud enough, our politicians will freeze your bank account, get you fired from your job, and throw you into a cage if they don't like your opinion. If you honestly believe that these people care about your kids, you are on fucking crack.

Please provide examples because, unless you are a criminal, I never heard or witnessed any of this. You seem to live in an alternate reality.

Quoting: Mohandevir

Quoting: SlaxerIn Canada if you're loud enough, our politicians will freeze your bank account, get you fired from your job, and throw you into a cage if they don't like your opinion. If you honestly believe that these people care about your kids, you are on fucking crack.

Please provide examples because, unless you are a criminal, I never heard or witnessed any of this. You seem to live in an alternate reality.

I thought you said that you know what you're dealing with? ... Well? Verify everything I said yourself.

Edit: Or just find out the hard way. Argue with the government loud enough about something they tell you not to talk about, and watch what happens to you.

Last edited by Slaxer on 17 Jun 2026 at 8:26 pm UTC

Quoting: Slaxer

Quoting: Mohandevir

Quoting: SlaxerIn Canada if you're loud enough, our politicians will freeze your bank account, get you fired from your job, and throw you into a cage if they don't like your opinion. If you honestly believe that these people care about your kids, you are on fucking crack.

Please provide examples because, unless you are a criminal, I never heard or witnessed any of this. You seem to live in an alternate reality.

I thought you said that you know what you're dealing with? ... Well? Verify everything I said yourself.

Edit: Or just find out the hard way. Argue with the government loud enough about something they tell you not to talk about, and watch what happens to you.

Yep! Still no examples.

Quoting: MohandevirYep! Still no examples.

Why not just find out on your own? You don't appear to be taking anything I say seriously anyway. I don't really feel like getting into it on this thread, it's a little much.

Quoting: Slaxer"The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants" - Albert Camus

Well, yeah, but what do you do with a quote like that? Only back people who officially want to harm humanity? Like, it's the alibi of good people too. The welfare of humanity was the alibi of Martin Luther King and Gandhi.

Quoting: Purple Library Guy

Quoting: Slaxer"The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants" - Albert Camus

Well, yeah, but what do you do with a quote like that? Only back people who officially want to harm humanity? Like, it's the alibi of good people too. The welfare of humanity was the alibi of Martin Luther King and Gandhi.

For sure, yeah. There is a difference though, but this is good. Keep going, and keep asking yourself more questions and do your best to answer them.

Edit: On that note, there is something I should've mentioned. People that punish you for asking questions have never been the good guys in history. Be wary of people that purposefully make it difficult for you to further your understanding.

Last edited by Slaxer on 17 Jun 2026 at 9:16 pm UTC