Liberals to debate age restrictions on social media

OTTAWA — Age restrictions on using social media accounts and AI chatbots are among the topics up for debate when Liberal party grassroots gather next month for their national convention.

There are 24 different policy resolutions that are on the agenda when party rank-and-file meet in Montreal for their convention April 9 through 11.

Two of them try to tackle ongoing concerns about the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on children and youth.

One resolution from Quebec calls for anyone under the age of 16 to be banned from accessing “all AI chatbots and other potentially harmful forms of AI interaction,” such as ChatGPT.

“These technologies have been shown to limit desire for interaction with peers, pushed some young people into sexual conversations and have even recommended suicide to vulnerable youth,” states the resolution, which is contained in a package published on the Liberal party website.

Another calls for a law similar to one Australia passed late last year that would set a “minimum age of 16 for creating social media accounts” and put the onus on companies that run the platforms to “prevent underage users from holding accounts.”

It also calls for creating a digital safety body that would “monitor compliance, conduct audits, issue notices, and apply penalties” as a way to combat issues Canadian youth face online, such as cyberbullying, extortion and dealing with reams of hateful online content.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that an “age of majority” for social media is part of the discussion as the government develops new online harms legislation. But he also said he has not made up his mind if Canada should follow Australia’s lead and ban social media for children.

“I think this is something that merits an open and considered debate in Canada,” he said, responding to a question from a reporter during a news conference in Tokyo on March 6.

Carney said there are arguments on both sides and more information emerging about how such bans work.

Other pitches on the table for debate at the Liberal convention including duelling proposals on reforming the electoral system — something former prime minister Justin Trudeau campaigned on in 2015 but ultimately abandoned.

One resolution proposes requiring a candidate up for election to receive at least 50 per cent plus one vote to win, which could be achieved through ranked ballots or run-off systems.

The other promotes setting up a citizens’ assembly to design the “most suitable form of proportional representation” for Canada. Those systems typically distribute at least some portion of the seats available based on the share of the popular vote.

A third resolution that touches on the topic would commit to exploring whether to introduce proportional representation.

Sharon Sommerville, one of the co-authors of the 2014 resolution on electoral reform that went on to become Liberal party policy, said there was “significant disappointment” among advocates when Trudeau abandoned his promise.

A leader campaigning on reform then abandoning the position poses a real challenge for advocates to surmount, she said.

“In terms of the institution of the party, there’s not a lot you can do about it because these resolutions aren’t binding, but it brings the conversation back to the table again and that’s a good thing,” she said.

But she said the three different resolutions on the issue suggests the “grassroots really wants to have this conversation about electoral reform, so let’s start talking about it.”

Carney has said he is open to the idea but it is not a priority given the current geopolitical climate.

» The Canadian Press