Manitoba education minister says social media ban could start in schools

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says his government will ban children from using social media or A.I. chatbots.

WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s education minister says the government may first turn to schools to ban children from using social media accounts and artificial intelligence chatbots.

Tracy Schmidt says Manitobans can expect to see the ban’s first phase roll out in schools, comparing it to when the province banned cellphones in classrooms.

She didn’t provide additional details on what the rollout would look like or a timeline.

She says legislative changes need to be made and that implementing the ban in classrooms is an easy first step.

Premier Wab Kinew announced the decision over the weekend, saying the province plans to protect kids from technology platforms that hurt their development.

Details on the age limit or how the province would have jurisdiction over international platforms have not been revealed.

Schmidt says the province is consulting with school divisions, the community and parents on what the ban in schools could look like.

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press