Wellington: New Zealand plans to introduce a bill banning children under 16 from using social media and imposing major fines on non-compliant platforms.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated that the proposed legislation aims to address concerns about the impact of social media on young people. The bill would require platforms to take reasonable steps to verify the ages of users.
The proposed age-verification measures could include existing account information, facial technology and digital identity documents. Platforms would face financial penalties if the required steps were not taken to prevent children under 16 from accessing social media services.
The proposal follows Australia’s December move to introduce the world’s first nationwide ban on social media use by children under 16. The Australian restrictions cover platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Luxon remarked that the government could not accept the harm being caused to a generation of New Zealand children. The prime minister pointed to exposure to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures that young people may not be equipped to manage. Luxon also linked those concerns to family life, mental health, sleep and education.
Winston Peters, New Zealand First leader and Foreign Minister expressed concern about the direction of the proposal. Peters argued that legislation of this kind could lead the country down a problematic path and described Australia’s comparable social media restrictions as a major failure.
Luxon acknowledged that enforcing such a ban would not be simple or perfect. The prime minister noted that some children would still find ways to bypass restrictions. However, Luxon argued that the scale of the issue made it important to attempt stronger protections.
The proposed bill now faces parliamentary scrutiny as New Zealand debates how far governments and technology platforms should go to limit children’s access to social media.
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