New Zealand Proposes Bill to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16

WELLINGTON, JurnalPost.com – The New Zealand government is advancing efforts to restrict social media use for children by introducing a bill that prohibits users under the age of 16 from accessing a number of social media platforms.

The Online Safety Bill is scheduled to be introduced to parliament on Monday, August 24, 2026. The regulation is designed to enhance child protection in the digital space while imposing greater responsibility on technology companies.

Under the proposed provisions, high-risk social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook are required to take reasonable steps to ensure their users are at least 16 years old.

Age verification can be carried out through a number of methods, including utilizing existing account information, facial-based age estimation technology, digital identity services, and official identity documents.

In addition to restricting user age, the bill also requires digital platforms used by children to conduct periodic risk assessments.

Technology companies will be required to explain how risks to child users are identified and the steps taken to mitigate them.

The New Zealand government is preparing strict sanctions for companies that fail to meet these obligations. Platforms proven to be in violation could face fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue.

The regulation is also designed to keep pace with technological developments. New platforms, including artificial intelligence (AI)-based companion services, will be included in the online safety oversight framework.

To ensure the implementation of these rules, the government plans to establish an online safety regulatory body under the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs.

The regulator will have the authority to independently monitor technology company compliance, conduct investigations into platforms, and enforce the provisions of the law.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated that protection for children is necessary because social media use can have various negative impacts.

“Social media exposes them to harmful content, addictive technology, and pressures they are not prepared to face, and this affects their family life, mental health, sleep, and education,” said Luxon.

According to the government, monitoring social media use is not solely the responsibility of families. Companies that provide digital platforms are also considered to have an obligation to create a safer online environment for children.

New Zealand Minister of Education Erica Stanford said the draft regulation would bring New Zealand in line with a number of other countries that have begun tightening child protection in the digital world.

“The bill imposes legal obligations on platforms. There are no sanctions proposed for children, parents, or their caregivers,” said Stanford.

However, the government's plan has faced opposition from some political groups.

The leader of New Zealand First, Winston Peters, stated that his party shares the same concerns regarding children's safety on the internet but does not support the implementation of the ban.

New Zealand First is one of the coalition partners in the New Zealand government.

Peters believes that the implementation of age verification rules could potentially impact parental rights, individual freedom, and public privacy.

Concerns regarding privacy issues were also raised by Cassandra Mudgway, a senior law lecturer at the University of Canterbury.

Mudgway welcomed the plan to establish an online safety regulator and the efforts to increase the accountability of technology companies. However, she questioned the effectiveness of a social media ban for users under 16 in achieving the government's goals.

According to her, age verification systems could pose significant privacy risks. A social media access ban is also not considered to automatically make the digital environment safer for children.

The debate shows that child protection in the digital space is not only related to age restrictions but also concerns the balance between safety, privacy, individual freedom, parental rights, and the responsibilities of technology companies.

If it receives parliamentary approval, this new regulation will place New Zealand among the group of countries that apply a stricter approach to social media use by children.