New Zealand to table bill banning under-16s from social media

New Zealand's conservative coalition government is set to introduce legislation on Monday that would prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms. The proposed bill, to be tabled in Parliament, includes fines of up to 10 percent of a platform's global revenue for companies that fail to comply.

The draft law would oblige social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify the ages of their users. Suggested methods include drawing on existing account information, employing facial recognition technology, and accepting digital identity documents.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon framed the move as a necessary response to the risks that social media poses to young people. In a statement, he said the government could no longer accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children.

Luxon pointed to exposure to harmful content, addictive technology, and pressures that children are not equipped to handle. He also cited the impact on family life, mental health, sleep, and education as key concerns driving the bill.