The Decibel

Decisions in two landmark trials in the U.S. found social media companies responsible for harms to youth on their platforms, earlier this year. They follow years of growing concern about the dangers that social media poses to young people. And now, those concerns are starting to show up in policy decisions. Back in December, Australia banned those under 16 years old from creating accounts on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Other countries are considering similar legislation — including Canada. But what do teenagers themselves think of these potential social media bans?

Samantha Edwards is The Globe’s online culture reporter. She assembled a group of Canadian teenagers to talk about how they actually use social media, what adults get wrong, and what they think about losing access to the platforms they use to talk to their friends.

This episode was originally aired on March 27, 2026 
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Canada’s Big Six banks are doing very well financially – their stocks are up an average of 62 per cent over the past year. In previous years, five or 10 per cent increases would be considered good for the banks. Financial reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze says this development is “absurd” and “baffling”.

Today, Tim explains why the banks are doing so well. (Spoiler alert: it’s connected to a red-hot stock market.) He’ll talk about whether this rise will last, the risks and what it says about the health of Canada’s economy.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been front and centre of two pipeline proposal announcements in the past week. First, she and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new southern route for the proposed West Coast pipeline on Thursday. Just a few days later, on Monday, she and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a proposal for a new 3,300-kilometre pipeline that would carry crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta to Sarnia, Ontario. 

Emma Graney is the Globe’s energy reporter. She’s on the show to explain these two proposed projects, how likely it is they’ll be constructed, and what all this says about changing sentiments around pipelines in Canada. 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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The value of copper has sky-rocketed in the last number of years. The pink orange metal has been in high demand for data centres, telecommunications services and EV charging stations. 

But the increased value of copper has led to a rising number of thefts. These incidents have caused internet blackouts, disrupted phone lines, and have cost thousands of dollars in repairs. 

Irene Galea is the Globe’s telecommunications reporter. She’s been looking into what’s driving the surge in copper theft, and what’s being done to stop it.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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A recent report from the Communications Security Establishment, Canada’s electronic eavesdropping agency, revealed it conducted cyberattacks to disrupt the online fentanyl supply chain. The report also detailed the agency’s growth; its budget will surpass $2-billion in 2026–27, up from just over $1-billion in 2024–25. The organization is one of the two main spy agencies in Canada and yet it remains relatively unknown to the general public.

Steven Chase, the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, joins the show to explain what exactly the CSE does and how it fits into Canada’s security landscape.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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