New Zealand moves to ban social media for under-16s

New Zealand's government has proposed a new law that would ban social media access for anyone under the age of 16. This move aligns the country with a growing international trend of nations seeking to protect young people from the potential harms associated with platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. If passed, the legislation would impose significant penalties on social media companies, potentially fining them up to 10% of their global revenue for failing to enforce the age restriction.

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We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated the ban is necessary due to the detrimental impact social media is having on New Zealand's youth. He cited statistics indicating that one in three teenagers aged 13 to 17 spend at least five hours daily on these platforms. Luxon highlighted concerns about exposure to harmful content, addictive technologies, and pressures that children are not equipped to handle, which negatively affect their family life, mental health, sleep, and education.

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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.

The proposed law mandates that platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook implement "reasonable steps" to verify users are over 16. This could involve using existing account data, facial age estimation, digital ID services, or formal identification. Companies would also be required to assess and report on the risks their platforms pose to minors and how these risks are being mitigated. Notably, the bill includes no penalties for children, parents, or caregivers.

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No penalties are proposed for children, their parents or caregivers.

However, the legislation faces significant hurdles within New Zealand's coalition government. Both the libertarian ACT party and the populist NZ First party have expressed opposition. NZ First cited Australia's similar legislation as a "colossal failure," while ACT believes the ban "won’t work" and that teenagers will easily circumvent it. The main opposition Labour party is still reviewing the bill, seeking answers on critical aspects like age verification methods and the scope of affected platforms.

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The safety of young people in Aotearoa New Zealand is at stake, and the risks they face in increasingly complex online environments are significant.