New Zealand Moves To Ban Social Media For Under-16s But Faces Opposition

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wants social media platforms to keep children under 16 off their services, with companies potentially facing fines worth up to 10% of their global revenue for failing to comply.

There is one immediate problem though. The proposed legislation may struggle to get through Parliament after coalition partner New Zealand First said it would not support the bill.
 

TL;DR

 

• New Zealand plans legislation banning children under 16 from using social media.
• Platforms could face fines of up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance.
• Age checks could use account information, facial technology, and digital identity documents.
• Coalition partner New Zealand First opposes the proposal, leaving its passage uncertain.

 

New Zealand’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Would Force Platforms To Verify Users’ Ages

Luxon said his party will introduce the bill in Parliament, putting responsibility on social media companies to take reasonable steps to determine whether users meet the minimum age requirement.

Those measures could include using information platforms already hold about accounts, facial technology, and digital identity documents.

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

He said social media exposes children to harmful content, addictive technology, and pressures they may not be equipped to handle, affecting areas including family life, mental health, sleep, and education.

Luxon also acknowledged that age restrictions would not be foolproof.

"I won't pretend that it will be simple or that it will be perfect," he said at an event. "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."
 

 

New Zealand First Opposition Could Put The Social Media Ban At Risk

Whether the proposal becomes law remains uncertain, particularly because New Zealand First, one of Luxon's coalition partners, has rejected the plan.

Party leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters warned that the legislation could take the country in the wrong direction.

"We have been concerned with the proposed legislation and the direction and slippery slope that legislation like this will inevitably take our country," Peters said in a post on X.

His opposition creates a significant political hurdle for a proposal that would impose some of the strongest consequences on social media companies operating in New Zealand.
 

 

Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Is Dividing New Zealand’s Coalition

The debate is already being shaped by Australia, which in December became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, covering platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Peters called Australia’s legislation a "colossal failure" and argued that keeping children away from social media should remain the responsibility of parents.

That leaves New Zealand facing two questions at once: whether platforms should be legally responsible for keeping under-16s away, and whether Luxon can secure enough political support to turn that approach into law.