Quebecers want minimum age for social networks: survey

The vast majority of Quebecers are in favour of imposing a minimum age for registering on social networks. Across all ages, 90 per cent of those who participated in the online consultations of the Special Commission on the Impacts of Screens and Social Networks on the Health and Development of Young People are in favour of it. 

The idea of ​​a digital majority has often been raised in parliamentary committees. The Fédération des médecins spécialisé du Québec (FMSQ) has notably proposed to the government that it prohibits those under 14 from creating an account on social networks. The youth wing of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) would rather see the minimum age for accessing social networks set at 16. 

The goal of a digital majority aims to protect young people from the harmful effects of social networks by ensuring that major platforms implement a solution when they register. 

It is not yet clear whether the government will move forward with a minimum age for creating a social media account. 

However, on Wednesday, the members of the Commission attended a training session on the legal and regulatory framework for web giants. The training, which will not be public, was given by Me Sara Eve Levac, lawyer and analyst at Option Consommateurs, and Vincent Gautrais, professor at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal and holder of the LR Wilson Chair in Information Technology and E-Commerce Law.

For the moment, the major platforms aren’t participating in the Commission’s hearings. Last November, the President of the Commission, Amélie Dionne, acknowledged that without the participation of the major platforms, their report — which must be submitted by May 30 at the latest — would be incomplete.

More than 7,000 people took part in the online consultations for the general public, which lasted three months. Commission Vice-President Enrico Ciccone said that this was one of the parliamentary consultations that attracted the greatest participation from the public. 

Among the respondents, about half identified themselves as parents. There were also 28 per cent  of workers in the education sector and 27 per cent of young people aged 14 to 24. 

The results released Wednesday show that 86 per cent of respondents believe that banning cell phones in classrooms is an effective measure to limit distractions. It also shows that 74 per cent want a ban on microtransactions in video games. 

Since the beginning of its work, the Commission has carried out a first phase of special consultations and public hearings in September 2024 and a second round in early 2025. Nearly 70 specialists and organizations were heard and just as many briefs were filed. The members of the Commission also met with 500 primary and secondary school students to get their opinions on these issues. 

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews