Kinew offers details of social media ban

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]The province is looking at having a commissioner or regulator in voice enforce its proposed ban on social media and AI chatbots for children under 16.

[00:00:10]Who would have the ability to say, "You're out of compliance with law in Manitoba. Let's talk about how you can get back into compliance." Then of course, if that doesn't happen, you have the avenue of fines and other remedial actions.

[00:00:27]Premier Wab Kinew announced last month there would be a ban to prevent children from certain online platforms and he made it clear yesterday a lot of details have yet to be worked out such as how to prevent kids from passing themselves off as older or the mechanism to get tech companies to comply. Some critics have said the federal government is better positioned to enact a ban and Wab Kinew says he's willing to work with Ottawa.

[00:00:50]Manitoba, he says, already has jurisdictions in certain place.

[00:00:55]Contract law, very clearly under provincial jurisdiction. Consumer protection is also under provincial jurisdiction. And of course, we also have unfair business practices which we regulate at the provincial level. And so, these tools among others I think give us a framework for action.

[00:01:18]Drafting legislation would take time and the premier has said it could be next year before measures are in place. The legislature is set to break for the summer in less than 3 weeks.