Canada bill to ban social media for children under 16

Firms could be hit with millions of dollars in penalties under Canada's proposed social media laws. (AAP PHOTOS)

The Canadian government has introduced a digital safety bill that would ban social media for children under 16, with ‌exemptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards, months after Australia enacted the world's first social media ban for young people.

The bill also aimed to make AI ‌chatbots safer by setting up a digital regulator to establish safety standards, a government official said on Wednesday.