New Zealand Introduces Bill to Restrict Social Media Access for Under 16s

The New Zealand government has introduced the Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill, which seeks to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts on certain online platforms. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated that the measure is necessary to protect children from harmful content, addictive technology, and pressures affecting their mental health and education. The bill would require platform operators to take reasonable steps to verify user ages, using methods such as facial technology, digital identity documents, and existing account information. Simply asking users for their date of birth is not considered sufficient.

Platforms found in non compliance could face fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue. The legislation also mandates child safety risk assessments for platforms and includes social AI companions, which are defined as AI systems designed to simulate social or emotional connections. Certain services are excluded from these restrictions, including person to person messaging, video gaming, education, and healthcare services.

While the main opposition party, Labour, has expressed support for the bill, the proposal has faced internal coalition friction. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters criticized the legislation as a slippery slope and argued that keeping children off social media should be the responsibility of parents. Prime Minister Luxon acknowledged that the rules would not be perfect and that some children would find ways around them, but maintained that the effort is too important to ignore. This move follows similar legislation in Australia, which became the first country to ban social media for under 16s in December.