New Zealand Plans Age Restrictions on Major Social Media Platforms -

New Zealand plans to ban children under 16 from using major social media platforms, citing concerns over the impact of excessive social media use on young people’s mental health, education and family life.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government will introduce the Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill on Aug. 24. Under the proposed legislation, high-risk platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook would be required to take reasonable steps to verify that users are at least 16 years old.

Luxon said one in three New Zealanders aged 13 to 17 now spends at least five hours a day on social media. He said young users are increasingly exposed to harmful content, addictive features and online pressures that can affect their sleep, education, mental health and relationships.

The proposal follows Australia, which introduced a similar social media age restriction in December. Major technology companies, including Meta and Alphabet, have criticised the Australian law, which places responsibility on platforms to enforce the restrictions and imposes significant penalties for violations.

Under New Zealand’s proposed rules, platforms could use existing account information, facial age estimation, digital identity services and government-issued identification to determine users’ ages. Companies would also be required to regularly assess risks to children and report on measures taken to reduce them.

Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.

The bill would also cover emerging technologies such as AI companion platforms and establish an online safety regulator within the Department of Internal Affairs to monitor compliance, investigate platforms and enforce the rules.

The move follows a parliamentary inquiry into the effects of social media on young people after the coalition government failed last year to reach an agreement on an earlier proposed ban. – TS/ERMD

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