Will New Zealand restrict social media use for under-16s?

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced a bill to ban social media use for children under 16. The law would require platforms to verify age, with fines of up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance. Coalition partner New Zealand First opposes the move.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today (Monday) that his party will introduce a bill to ban social media use for children under 16. The proposal sets fines of up to 10% of global revenue for companies that fail to verify user age using existing information, facial recognition, or digital documents. Luxon justified the move by citing harm to the current generation of children, including harmful content, addictive technology, and social pressures that damage mental health, sleep, and studies. However, the bill's prospects are unclear: New Zealand First, a key coalition partner, opposes it. Its leader Winston Peters called the move a "slippery slope" and argued that responsibility should remain with parents. Peters also cited the Australian ban from last December as a "colossal failure." Luxon acknowledged enforcement difficulties but said the issue is too important not to try.

Will New Zealand restrict social media use for under-16s?