New Zealand plans under-16 social media ban with fines up to 10% of revenue

NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand is putting a new age limit on the social media scroll. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s conservative coalition government is set to introduce legislation that would prevent children under 16 from using major social media platforms, with companies facing hefty penalties for failing to comply.

The proposed Online Safety Bill would require platforms classified as high-risk to take “reasonable steps” to verify users’ ages and prevent under-16s from accessing their services.

Possible age-verification methods include using existing account information, facial age-estimation technology, digital identity services and formal identification documents.

“We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children,” New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement.

He said social media was exposing young people to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures they were not equipped to deal with, with effects on family life, mental health, sleep and education.

Government figures cited by Luxon indicate that one in three New Zealand children aged 13 to 17 spends at least five hours a day on social media.

The proposed legislation could also hit technology companies where it hurts most: their balance sheets. Platforms that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 per cent of their global revenue.

The move follows Australia, which became the first country to introduce a nationwide social media age restriction for under-16s. Its rules came into effect on December 10, 2025, requiring covered platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from creating or maintaining accounts.

Australia’s restrictions cover services including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit and Twitch. Its government has also moved to strengthen enforcement, including proposals for higher penalties for companies that fail to comply.

New Zealand’s proposal, however, faces a political hurdle of its own. New Zealand First, one of the coalition government’s partners, has said it will not support the legislation.

New Zealand First leader and foreign minister Winston Peters has criticised Australia’s approach, arguing that responsibility for keeping children away from social media should primarily rest with parents.

The opposition could make the bill’s passage through Parliament challenging, particularly with New Zealand’s general election scheduled for November.

The proposed restrictions form part of a broader global debate over how governments should regulate children’s access to social media. Countries including the UK, Denmark, Malaysia and Spain are considering or implementing different approaches, ranging from age limits and verification systems to stronger parental controls.

For New Zealand, the next test will be whether the government can turn its proposed digital age barrier into law before voters get their own say at the ballot box.