In May 2026, ahead of the government’s introduction of  Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, the Media Ecosystem Observatory fielded a national survey of 1,306 Canadians on how children should be protected online. This brief speaks directly to this legislative moment. C-34 establishes a framework to regulate social media platforms and AI chatbot services. However, specific design-focused provisions, such as app features, age verification, and compliance mechanisms remain largely undefined. This brief asks what Canadians themselves want from this framework, and where their preferences are settled, divided, or uncertain. 

Support for Government Regulation: The strongest support is for the measures that place responsibility on platforms rather than on users: age-appropriate design codes (84%), strengthened legal liability (82%), and an independent regulator, with the power to fine polling close behind (72%). Canadians want the same for AI chatbots, where 82% ask for the same or similar rules. This suggests that Canadians’ concern is not limited to social media or any particular platform, but extends to the broader risks that rapidly evolving technologies pose to children.

Prove it Safe: On age limits, the public backs restrictions without insisting on an  outright ban. A full ban on under-age users draws 76% support. So does a temporary moratorium - one that suspends children's access until a platform can show its product is safe. Canadians are not choosing outright exclusion but rather seek a safe user experience for children.

A Different User Experience: Canadians want design change, not just restriction. Asked what should be restricted for children, a clear majority supports limiting a wide range of features: contact with strangers (74%), data collection (67%), commercial features (61%), personalized feeds (58%), and the features built to maximize time on the app (57%). On age verification the public is harder to read, with opinion scattered and one in five Canadians unsure. Nonetheless, Canadians tend to favour a government-run pass or fail check, well ahead of trusting the platforms or an algorithm to do it.

Online Harms and Developmental Costs: Canadians  are also clear-eyed about what a ban would and would not fix. Most think it would improve children's safety from online harms (70%) and their mental health (68%). Some Canadians remain concerned about potential costs to digital literacy or access to information and civic life. They are weighing immediate protection against longer-term cost, which points to the importance of a  graduated pathway into online life and digital literacy education in schools, rather than a restricted  wall at a fixed age.