New Zealand’s prime minister has proposed banning children under 16 years old from using social media, in an effort to protect young people from harms such as exposure to violent content and cyberbullying.
Christopher Luxonsaid on Tuesday the draft law would force social media companies to verify users were at least 16 before allowing them to create an account, or face fines of up to NZ$2m ($1.2m).
While good things could come from social media, it was not always a safe place for young people and the onus was on tech companies to be socially responsible, Luxon said.
“This is about protecting our children. It’s about making sure social media companies are playing their role in keeping our kids safe,” Luxon said.
Teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyberbullying, exposure to violent and inappropriate content, exploitation and social media addiction.
“Parents are constantly telling us that they are really worried about the impact that social media is having on their children,” Luxon said. “And they say they are really struggling to manage access to social media.”
The author of the bill, National MP Catherine Wedd, said there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand and her bill would better support families to have oversight of their children’s online use.
The proposed ban is closely modelled on that of Australia, which sits at the forefront of global efforts to regulate social media.
Australia passed landmark laws in November banning under-16s from social media – one of the world’s toughest crackdowns on popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram and X.
The move sparked a fierce backlash from big tech companies who variously described the laws as “rushed”, “vague” and “problematic”.
In December, a 1News Verian poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealanders supported restricting social media access for under-16s.
The New Zealand bill was drafted by Luxon’s centre-right National party, the biggest member of the three-way governing coalition and would need the support of Luxon’s two coalition partners to pass.
It is not yet clear when the bill will be introduced to parliament, but Luxon hoped the it would generate bipartisan support. “It’s not a political issue, it’s a New Zealand issue,” he said.
Opposition Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Radio New Zealand he was open to the idea.
“This is a conversation we need to have as a country. The Australians have been courageous and tackled it. I think New Zealand needs to do the same.”
