New Zealand proposes under-16 social media ban with age verification and potential platform penalties

The social media ban bill would allow the High Court to order internet service providers to cut off social media companies who don’t comply

New Zealand has introduced legislation that would ban children under 16 from social media platforms and AI companion services. "We have protections to keep children safe in the real world and we need them in the virtual world too," said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in announcing the bill. Jurist.org reports: The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill would require an age restriction on platforms with harmful features for children. These features include recommender systems, endless feeds, feedback features and time-limited features. The bill also seeks to restrict underage users from accessing AI companion services. However, it explicitly excludes messaging apps, professional networking sites, gaming and music platforms, and other educational and health tools. Notably, age verification through self-declared dates of birth and formal identification does not satisfy the platforms' duty under the law. It also requires platforms to verify their users' age through other methods such as facial scans and user activity patterns. The bill would also require platforms to conduct child safety risk assessments for all users under 18 and protect them from harmful content such as bullying, violence, and sexually explicit materials. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Platforms would also be required to assess the risks they pose as well as report on how those dangers are being reduced, with penalties slapped on companies that fail to comply

Labour's backing removes a major obstacle for prime minister Christopher Luxon after his coalition partners said they would block the legislation.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has unveiled a proposed law banning children younger than 16 from using social media platforms, citing what he said Monday was "harm being done to a generation" of young people.

New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has unveiled a proposed law banning children younger than 16 from using social media platforms, citing what he said Monday was “harm being done to a generation” of young people. However, the bill hasn’t yet attracted enough support to pass into law because two of the three parties in Luxon’s coalition government will vote against it. Passage would require support from opposition lawmakers, who have yet to decide how they would vote. There also wasn’t enough time for lawmakers to hold a vote on the proposal before Parliament dissolved on Oct. 1 ahead of November’s election, Luxon said. Bills are required to pass three rounds of voting, usually over a period of months, before they become law. Proposal comes after other countries enact age bans If reelected, Luxon is seeking to make his government the latest to enact age restrictions for social media platforms after dozens of countries have either introduced or are mulling such measures. He said 2025 research showed a third of New Zealand teenagers spent at least five hours a day on social media. “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,” Luxon said. The proposal would require social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook to “take reasonable steps” to check users were older than 16, according to material supplied by Luxon’s party Monday. This could include “existing account information, facial age estimation, digital ID services and formal ID,” the material said. Excluded from the proposed law are messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, online gaming platforms like Roblox, and AI apps with productivity uses—including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot. No penalties are proposed for parents or children, but tech companies could be fined up to 10% of their global revenue for failing to meet their obligations. Platforms regularly used by children would be required to assess and report on the risks their networks posed, Luxon said. Prospect of a ban has divided New Zealand’s government Luxon’s government has mulled such a law since Australia’s world-first social media ban for those under 16 took effect in December 2025. However, it’s been vehemently opposed by the other two parties that make up the government along with Luxon’s center-right National Party—the libertarian ACT and the populist NZ First. Both minor parties repeated Monday their plans to vote against the law. Lawmakers from the largest opposition party, center-left Labour, haven’t decided whether they’d vote for it, Chris Hipkins, its leader, said Monday. Since Australia’s law came into force, countries including Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have enacted bans too, while many other countries are studying or developing laws. Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns. In January, a month after Australia’s ban was enacted, social media platforms told an Australian regulator they had revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children. Luxon’s government enacted a ban in 2024 on the use of cellphones during the school day for students of all ages. —Charlotte Graham-McLay, Associated Press

New Zealand is moving to draw a hard line on youth social media use, unveiling legislation that would bar children under 16 from platforms such as Instagram and TikTok as governments worldwide step up efforts to limit the online risks facing young people. The proposal places New Zealand alongside a growing list of countries taking […]

Firms like Meta could be fined up to 10 percent of their global revenue if they fail to comply

The government faces opposition to its proposals from MPs who believe a ban will not work.

The proposal marks New Zealand as the latest country to mull such a law since Australia enacted its world-first under-16s social media ban in December 2025.

The latest country to introduce a social media ban for kids? New Zealand.

Under the proposed law, firms like Meta could be fined up to 10% of their global revenue if they fail to comply.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon proposed banning children under sixteen from social media. This legislation aims to protect young people from harmful online content and addictive technologies. However, two coalition parties oppose the bill, which may require opposition support to pass. Australia enacted a similar ban in December 2025, with other nations considering such measures. New Zealand also banned mobile phones in schools for all students during the day.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has proposed banning children under 16 from using social media, citing concerns over harmful content, addictive technology and the impact on young people’s mental health, sleep and education

New Zealand will introduce a bill requiring platforms to verify users are over 16, though two of three coalition partners oppose it and no vote will happen before November’s election. France’s under-15 ban takes effect on 1 September with its age verification mandate stripped out. New Zealand will introduce a bill on Monday requiring social […] This story continues at The Next Web

The bill would require platforms to verify users' ages using account data, facial technology and digital IDs.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says, ''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'

New Zealand proposes a ban on social media for under-16s, citing mental health concerns and harmful content. Learn about the new legislation and potential Read More: https://punchng.com/new-zealand-moves-to-ban-social-media-for-under-16s/

National Party ministers announced on Monday that New Zealand would follow Australia in banning social media for under-16s.

New Zealand has introduced its own social media ban for under-16s mirroring Australia’s - but coalition partners are vowing to vote it down.

New Zealand has introduced its own social media ban for under-16s mirroring Australia’s - but coalition partners are vowing to vote it down.

The government will introduce the Online Safety Bill on Monday that will require high-risk social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook to take reasonable steps to check users are over the age of 16, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told reporters.

New Zealand's government has introduced legislation to ban under 16s from using social media, joining a number of countries seeking to keep youngsters off sites such as Instagram and TikTok.

New Zealand proposes under social media ban ahead of election

New Zealand has been investigating a social media ban for over a year, after neighbouring Australia implemented its world-first legislation in December.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has unveiled a bill that would ban children younger than 16 from using social media

WELLINGTON — New Zealand's government will introduce legislation on Monday banning under 16s from using social media, joining a number of countries seeking to keep youngsters off sites such as Instagram and TikTok. New Zealand has been investigating a social media ban for over a year, after neighbouring Australia implemented its world-first legislation in December. Under the Online Safety Bill, firms like Meta could be fined up to 10 percent of their global revenue if they fail to comply. "We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said. In announcing the Online Safety Bill, Luxon said "one in three children aged between 13 and 17 are now spending at least five hours on social media a day." "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," he said. Luxon specifically called out platforms Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook, saying they would be required to take "

New Zealand's government introduces legislation to ban social media use for under-16s, echoing similar moves by Australia and the UK, as concerns grow over the impact of social media on youth mental health.

New Zealand has introduced legislation to ban under-16s from social media, with platforms facing fines of up to 10% of global revenue for failing to enforce the rules.

The government is set to follow Australia's lead and introduce a bill banning children from social media. But the plan already faces opposition from within the ruling coalition.

The bill would require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users' ages, including by utilizing existing account information and facial technology.

The bill proposes fines of up to 10% of social media platforms' global revenue for non-compliance.

Prime minister Christopher Luxon’s party to introduce bill seeking the ban, citing harm to a generation of childrenNew Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon has said his party will introduce a bill in parliament that ⁠seeks to ban children ⁠under ​16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10% of a platform’s global revenue for non-compliance.The bill would ⁠require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages, including by utilising existing account information, facial technology and ⁠digital identity documents. Continue reading...

New ⁠Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday his party would introduce a bill in parliament that seeks to ban children under 16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10 per cent of a ‌platform’s global revenue for non-compliance. The bill would require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages, including by using existing account information, facial technology and digital identity documents. “We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a...

One of Luxon's coalition partners, the New Zealand First party, said it would not support the bill banning social media for children under 16.

Proposed law would mandate tech platforms implement age-verification measures for under-16s or face penalties of up to 10 per cent of their global revenues

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday his ‌party will introduce a bill in Parliament that seeks to ban children under 16 from using social media,…

Bill seeks to ban children under 16 from using social media, and proposes fines of up to 10 per cent of a platform’s global revenue for non-compliance

Sydney: New Zealand's ​conservative coalition ​government will introduce a ​bill in Parliament on Monday that seeks to ban children under 16 ‌from ⁠using ⁠social media, and proposes fines ​of up to 10% of a platform's ​global revenue for non-compliance.The bill would require social media ​platforms to take ⁠reasonable steps ‌to verify users' ​ages, ​including by using existing ⁠account information, facial technology and ​digital identity documents."We simply cannot ​accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ‌said in a statement."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," Luxon said.

New Zealand is moving to introduce an Australian-style social media ban for children under 16, with platforms facing hefty fines for non-compliance.

New Zealand is moving to introduce an Australian-style social media ban for children under 16, with platforms facing hefty fines for non-compliance.

New Zealand plans to to ban under 16 years from social media, saying access is causing harm to a generation of the nation’s children.