New Zealand plans bill to ban social media for children under 16

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said his party will introduce legislation seeking to prevent children under 16 from using social media, with platforms potentially facing fines of up to 10% of their global revenue for failing to comply.

Under the proposed bill, social media companies would be required to take reasonable measures to verify users' ages, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

These could include checking existing account information, using facial recognition technology and accepting digital identity documents.

"We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children," Luxon noted.

According to him, 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.

It remains uncertain whether the proposal will secure enough support in Parliament. One of Luxon's coalition partners, New Zealand First, has said it will oppose the legislation.

"We have been concerned with the proposed legislation and the direction and slippery slope that legislation like this will inevitably take our country," New Zealand First leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters stated in a post on X.

Australia became the first country in December to prohibit children under 16 from using social media, restricting access to platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Peters described Australia's legislation as a "colossal failure" and argued that preventing children from using social media should be the responsibility of parents.

Luxon acknowledged that enforcing the proposed restrictions would be challenging.

"I won't pretend that it will be simple or that it will be perfect," he added. "We won't get every single child off social media. Some will always find ways around it, but frankly, it's just way too important not to at least try."

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov