New Zealand to introduce bill banning social media for children under 16

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Christopher Luxon said the bill would impose fines of up to 10% of a social media platform’s global revenue if it failed to comply.

Social media companies would be expected to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages, including using existing account information, facial technology and digital ID.

In a statement, Luxon said: “We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children."

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"Social media is exposing them to harmful content, addictive technology ​and pressures they are not equipped to deal with, and it's affecting their family life, mental health, sleep and education," he went on.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the legislation was popular enough to pass through Parliament, with one of the government’s coalition partners, the New ​Zealand First party, already saying it would not support it.

Winston Peters, New Zealand First leader and foreign minister, said on X: "We have been concerned with the proposed ‌legislation and the direction and slippery slope that legislation like this will inevitably take our country.”

Australia made history in December when it became the first country to ​ban social media for children under 16, restricting their access from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Peters accused the legislation of being a "colossal failure," and added that the responsibility for keeping children off ​social media should fall on parents.

Luxon has acknowledged some of the challenges this entailed, and said at an event: "I won't pretend that it will be simple or that it will be perfect".

"We won't get every single ​child off social media. Some will always find ​ways around it, but frankly, it's just way too important not to at least try."