New Zealand advances proposal to ban social media access for children under 16

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced Sunday that a proposal to ban children under 16 from accessing social media will be added to the government's work program. Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the development of the implementation plan.

The proposal was put forward by New Zealand National Party MP Catherine Wedd. She noted that New Zealand currently has no legally binding age-verification mechanism for social media. Schools, teachers, and parents are generally concerned about the negative impacts of social media on teenagers, according to the New Zealand Herald.

"My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill is about protecting young people from bullying, inappropriate content and social media addiction by restricting access for under 16-year-olds," Radio New Zealand (RNZ) quoted Wedd as saying.

Platforms could face financial penalties for non-compliance and would be obligated to take "all reasonable steps" to ensure users are at least 16 years old, RNZ reported.

The proposed law is modeled on legislation currently being implemented in Australia. If passed, it would allow the responsible minister to classify specific platforms as age-restricted and require a formal review three years after coming into force to evaluate its impact.

The Australian bill of social media ban for children under 16 – the first in the world – passed the senate in November 2024.

"It's not a political issue. It's actually a New Zealand issue," Luxon said, adding that he is seeking bipartisan support.

(With input from Xinhua)