New Zealand Introduces Bill to Ban Under-16s From Social Media

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's government has introduced legislation to ban children under 16 from social media platforms, proposing fines of up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliant companies.

Key points

• Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook would be required to implement reasonable age-verification measures.
• The proposed law imposes no penalties on children, parents, or caregivers.
• The bill faces political uncertainty, as coalition partners New Zealand First and the ACT party have expressed strong opposition.

Why it matters

The legislation represents a major government intervention into youth online safety, following similar actions in countries like Australia and sparking debate over parental responsibility versus platform regulation.