New Zealand’s proposed law would bar children under 16 from using social media and expose platforms that fail to comply to fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon framed the move as protection for young people, saying, "We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children." He added that "one in three children aged between 13 and 17 are now spending at least five hours on social media a day," and warned the services were "exposing them to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures they are not equipped to deal with."
Luxon singled out Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook, saying those platforms must take "reasonable steps to check users are over the age of 16." He said companies would need to draw on "existing account information, facial age estimation, digital ID services and formal ID" to verify ages, and must assess and report on the risks they create.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Bill "places legal obligations on platforms" and stressed "No penalties are proposed for children, their parents or caregivers." The legislation would also allow regulators to impose sanctions on firms that fail to meet reporting and risk-mitigation duties.
The Bill’s path is uncertain. Both coalition partners, the libertarian ACT party and populist NZ First, have signalled opposition. NZ First said it could not support the law given the "colossal failure" of Australia’s rollout, while ACT argued the measure "won't work" and warned teenagers would easily circumvent a ban. The main opposition, Labour, has lodged dozens of questions about how age checks will operate and which services would be covered, with spokesman Reuben Davidson saying, "We take this legislation very seriously" and that "the safety of young people in Aotearoa New Zealand is at stake."
New Zealand is following a trend that began when Australia enacted a similar ban in December 2025, with the UK, France and other countries moving in the same direction. That precedent has produced mixed evidence of impact: a team of Australia-based researchers published a peer-reviewed study in June that found little evidence teenagers had left social media after Australia’s law took effect.
The government has set out enforcement tools and technical requirements, but the combination of political opposition and unresolved questions about verification and enforcement leaves the bill's outcome unclear. The legislation will proceed through parliamentary scrutiny while ministers and opponents contest whether the proposed checks and penalties will work in practice.
