New Zealand’s prime minister proposes banning children from using social media
Platforms would face fines of up to 10% of global revenue if they fail to verify users’ ages, the government said.
- Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced Monday that New Zealand will introduce legislation banning social media for children under 16, aiming to protect young people from harmful content and addictive technology.
- The proposed law mandates Big Tech firms implement age-verification measures using digital identity documents and facial technology, with penalties of up to 10 per cent of global revenues for non-compliance.
- "We simply can't accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children," Luxon said, acknowledging the plan's complexity: "I won't pretend that it will be simple or that it will be perfect."
- New Zealand First, a coalition partner, confirmed its opposition to the bill after its leader Winston Peters called the measure a "colossal failure" and warned of a "slippery slope."
- Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s in December, restricting access to TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube, and Meta's Instagram and Facebook, establishing a global precedent.
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The bill's passage is uncertain, as some of the governing parties also oppose it.
On Monday, the New Zealand government introduced a bill to ban access by children under 16 years of age to social media, following the example of other countries seeking to restrict the use of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok by young people.
The party of New Zealand's head of government Christopher Luxon wants to limit access to social media for young people under the age of 16. Education minister Erica Stanford announced a bill on Monday. "We are protecting children in the real world from dangers. It is time to take their security on the Internet just as seriously," she said at a press conference on Monday. It is therefore planned that platforms classified by the government as "ris…
New Zealand Unveils Bill to Ban Under-16s From Social Media
New Zealand Unveils Bill to Ban Under-16s From Social Media Published on 24/08/2026 11:29 AM Katie Baker Mon, 08/24/2026 - 11:21 New Zealand's government introduced the Online Safety Bill to parliament on Monday, seeking to ban children under 16 from using social media. The proposed Online Safety Bill would fine platforms up to 10% of global revenue, but two of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's own coalition partners have already said they wo…
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