The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, June 11, edition that social media companies will need to block users under 16 from having accounts, according to a bill introduced by Ottawa to enhance on-line safety. The Globe's Marie Woolf writes that platforms, however, can seek exemptions if they prove they have adequate child protection measures to a new digital safety regulator. This is Ottawa's third attempt to legislate on on-line harms. The bill will regulate social-media platforms like Facebook and X, as well as livestreaming and adult content services, but it won't cover search engines. It mandates age verification for social media, raising potential privacy concerns. The bill does not detail the method for age verification to ensure users are not younger than 16 but outlines criteria for effective verification. Meta spokesman Julia Perreira said "An App Store/OS-level solution is the most effective and privacy-preserving approach to age verification." She called social media bans "counterproductive," but said Meta is encouraged "that the government appears to recognize that on-line services that provide teens with sufficient safeguards, like we've done with Teen Accounts" are valuable to young people.