New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that his party would introduce a bill seeking to prevent children under 16 from using social media.
The proposed legislation would require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages. Measures could include checking existing account information, facial recognition technology and digital identity documents.
Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.
Luxon said the government could not ignore what he described as the harm social media was causing to children, citing exposure to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures that could affect family life, mental health, sleep and education.
However, the proposal faces uncertainty in Parliament after New Zealand First, one of Luxon’s coalition partners, said it would not support the bill.
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New Zealand First leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters criticised the proposed legislation, arguing that keeping children away from social media should primarily be the responsibility of parents. He also described Australia’s similar policy as a “colossal failure”.
Australia became the first country to ban social media use by children under 16 in December, with the restrictions covering platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Luxon acknowledged that enforcing the proposed ban would be difficult, saying some children would find ways around the restrictions. He nevertheless argued that the potential benefits made the effort worthwhile.
