How to protect your children's privacy online under Canadian law, including what platforms can and cannot do.
This page provides legal information, not legal advice. Consult a qualified privacy lawyer or CIPP/C-accredited privacy professional before taking action on access requests, breach response, complaints to a Privacy Commissioner, or Federal Court applications.
Last verified: September 2026
TL;DR
Most online services must get parental consent for children under 13, and Quebec sets the bar at 14. Parents can request deletion of a child's account and information. Beyond the law, app permissions and parental controls are the practical tools most families use.
Talk about privacy early
Children of all ages benefit from age-appropriate conversations about what to share online, what companies do with data, and who can see a post.
Account settings that matter
Private-by-default profiles.
Location sharing turned off unless needed.
Targeted advertising and profiling turned off where the service allows it.
Friend and follower lists reviewed regularly.
Platform requests
You can write to a platform to:
Request access to information held about your child.
Request deletion of your child's account.
Request de-indexing under Quebec's Law 25 for harmful content.
Schools and ed-tech
Schools can be asked which ed-tech vendors they use and whether the vendor complies with provincial privacy law. Canada's privacy commissioners issued a joint resolution in October 2025 calling on schools to inform families about ed-tech data practices; it is guidance rather than a statutory duty.