The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that three unnamed sources say federal officials plan to propose a ban on social media for children under 14 in the upcoming on-line harms bill to protect young people in the digital space. The Globe's Marie Woolf writes that Australia's recent social media ban for those under 16 has prompted other countries, like Canada and Britain, to mull similar measures. In Canada, there is currently a ban on social-media use by children under the age of 13, though many children circumvent the ban. The proposal to raise the cutoff age to 14 requires cabinet approval, with ministers expected to discuss it next month. There have been talks among civil servants about the need for a new regulator to enforce the ban. Millions of young Australians have left major social media platforms like X, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat since the under-16 ban was implemented. The new on-line harms bill, a replacement for a previous bill that was tabled in 2024 but died when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the past federal election, is expected to be introduced within months. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection supports a social-media delay to help prevent harm to children and youth.