Overview
- Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra, who spoke Tuesday, said he is considering an outright ban on student phones across school properties with medical exemptions.
- Calandra said Ontario will work with the federal government on a ban for kids under a set age on social media, as Culture Minister Marc Miller studies national age limits modeled on Australia’s law.
- Manitoba announced plans last week to bar children from using social media accounts and AI chatbots, starting with classroom rules that could expand beyond schools.
- British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma cited the Tumbler Ridge school shooting and the shooter’s reported interactions with ChatGPT to urge stronger controls and said B.C. could act if Ottawa does not move soon.
- Parents and opposition leaders questioned a full ban’s practicality, noting phones help with travel and family contact, even as Ontario already restricts in-school use under rules set in 2024.