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A 2025 survey<\/a> of young people in the United Kingdom found that 70 per cent had seen pornography online.\u00a0<\/p>\n The vast majority reported seeing pornography by accident, up 20 per cent from 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n Studies also show most young people think that viewing pornography changes their behaviour. One study<\/a> found pornography consumption is correlated with increased violence against women. It has also been linked<\/a> to children perpetrating sexual abuse against other children.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Canada considers new laws to protect children and youth online, the government must prioritize protecting kids from pornography.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Many policymakers are rightly concerned about protecting children online. In Canada and abroad, many new proposals have centred on limiting youth social media access.<\/p>\n The Carney government, for example, is currently considering banning social media for youth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Doing so would have the support of Liberal Party members, who recently passed<\/a> two policy resolutions related to internet regulation. One calls on the government to prevent children under 16 from having social media accounts. The other seeks to prohibit them from accessing AI chatbots and from engaging in harmful AI interactions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Premier Wab Kinew also recently announced that Manitoba would ban social media and AI chatbots for kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n Internationally, Australia banned social media for children late last year, and numerous other jurisdictions<\/a> have either implemented similar bans or are considering them.\u00a0<\/p>\n We don’t have the resources of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. But we have Canadian heart.<\/p>\n Support local Canadian media today.<\/p>\n Thank you for being a paid subscriber. Your support makes our original and Canadian-focused journalism possible. \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 <\/p>\n Subscribe to Editor’s Picks. Receive our free Saturday newsletter featuring our best stories from the week.<\/p>\n Limits on youth social media use have broad support in Canada. A recent Angus Reid Institute survey found<\/a> that 75 per cent of respondents supported banning children under 16 from social media platforms.<\/p>\n But that same survey also showed strong concern with youth pornography exposure. A full 85 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about youth exposure to pornography or explicit content.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is a concern Canadian governments can and should also take action on.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other jurisdictions are already doing so, including the U.K., France, Australia, and over two dozen U.S. states. These jurisdictions have typically passed laws requiring age verification to prevent children from viewing online pornography.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is an important step, but porn sites are not the only areas where youth are being exposed.<\/p>\n