Canada could restrict Roblox & Minecraft for under 16s as part of social media

Canada could expand its proposed social media ban for children under 16 to include gaming platforms such as Roblox, Minecraft, and Discord, potentially introducing new restrictions on how young players interact online.

The Canadian government introduced its Safe Social Media Act in June, proposing to prevent anyone under 16 from holding social media accounts unless platforms can demonstrate sufficient safety protections.

However, gaming platforms were left out of the legislation, something Canadian officials are now reconsidering amid growing concerns about online predators.

According to The Globe and Mail, Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller said he would "absolutely consider" expanding the bill to address certain aspects of gaming.

Canada considers online game restrictions for children

During a parliamentary debate on October 21, Conservative MP Rachael Thomas questioned why popular games were excluded from the proposed legislation.

"Kids spend hours on platforms like Roblox and Minecraft, where grooming and exploitation happen regularly. Why does Bill C-34 focus heavily on social media feeds while leaving these major gaming environments entirely out?" she asked lawmakers.

Miller acknowledged concerns about games allowing children to communicate with adults, but stressed that the government does not intend to prevent young people from gaming entirely.

Instead, proposed measures could include stricter age verification, additional parental controls, and limits on messaging between certain age groups.

The minister also revealed that he had met with gaming companies about improving their safety systems, warning that failing to protect younger users could attract further regulation.

"The more you start to behave in that way, the more you attract regulation," he said.

Some of these measures are already being introduced elsewhere. In January 2026, Roblox rolled out facial age checks for chat, limiting communication between players in different age groups.

Meanwhile, the UK has considered banning children from talking to strangers across games including Minecraft, Roblox, and Fortnite.

Australia has also taken a tougher approach to social media, implementing its under-16 ban in December 2025. The crackdown even included streaming platform Kick, although Roblox remained exempt.

However, Australia's experience has raised concerns that children may simply migrate to gaming platforms and smaller social apps not covered by the restrictions.

For now, Canada's proposed gaming restrictions remain under consideration, with no final rules or implementation date announced.

While Roblox and Minecraft could face new requirements, a blanket ban preventing Canadian children under 16 from playing either game has not been proposed.