New Zealand Moves to Ban Social Media for Under-16s

Wellington:  (News Desk) – New Zealand’s government is set to introduce legislation Monday that would prohibit children under 16 from using social media platforms, following a growing international push to limit young people’s access to potentially harmful online content.

The proposed Online Safety Bill comes after more than a year of discussions and follows Australia’s introduction of similar restrictions in December.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government could not ignore the impact social media is having on young people. He cited figures showing that around one in three New Zealanders aged 13 to 17 spends at least five hours a day on social media.

According to Luxon, excessive social media use can expose children to harmful material, addictive technologies and pressures that may affect their family relationships, mental wellbeing, sleep and education.

The proposed rules would cover major platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook. Companies would be required to take reasonable measures to verify that users are at least 16 years old.

Possible age-verification methods could include existing account information, facial age estimation, digital identity services and official identification documents.

Platforms would also have to evaluate the risks associated with their services and demonstrate what measures they are taking to reduce those risks. Companies that fail to meet the requirements could face substantial penalties, potentially reaching 10 percent of their global revenue.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said the legislation would place legal responsibilities on social media companies rather than children or their parents. No penalties are proposed for young users, parents or caregivers.

However, the bill faces political uncertainty. New Zealand’s coalition partners, the ACT Party and NZ First, have expressed opposition, raising questions about whether the legislation will secure enough support in Parliament.

NZ First described Australia’s experience as a major failure, while ACT argued that teenagers could easily circumvent the restrictions.

Australia introduced its under-16 social media restrictions last year, targeting platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as part of efforts to address online bullying and risks linked to recommendation algorithms.

However, a peer-reviewed study by Australia-based researchers, published in June, found limited evidence that teenagers had significantly reduced their social media use as a result of the restrictions.