New Zealand proposes ban on children under 16 from 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.