New Zealand’s government is set to introduce legislation on Monday that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms, joining a growing number of countries seeking to limit young people’s access to services such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat.
The proposed Online Safety Bill follows Australia’s landmark social media restrictions introduced in December 2025. Under the New Zealand proposal, technology companies could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue if they fail to enforce age restrictions.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government could no longer ignore the impact social media is having on young people.
“We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children,” Luxon said, noting that one in three teenagers aged 13 to 17 spends at least five hours per day on social media platforms.
According to the government, excessive social media use is exposing children to harmful content, addictive technologies and pressures that can negatively affect mental health, sleep, education and family relationships.
The legislation would require social media companies to take reasonable steps to verify that users are at least 16 years old. Verification methods could include existing account information, facial age-estimation technology, digital identity services and official identification documents.
In addition, platforms would be required to assess risks to young users and regularly report on measures taken to reduce those risks. Companies that fail to comply could face significant financial penalties.
Education Minister Erica Stanford emphasized that the bill places responsibility on technology companies rather than families.
“No penalties are proposed for children, their parents or caregivers,” Stanford said.
The bill’s future remains uncertain, however, as New Zealand’s coalition partners, ACT and NZ First, have both expressed opposition. NZ First cited concerns over what it described as the “colossal failure” of Australia’s similar legislation, while ACT argued that tech-savvy teenagers would likely find ways to bypass the restrictions.
Australia’s under-16 social media ban was introduced to protect children from online bullying, harmful content and what officials called “predatory algorithms.” However, a peer-reviewed study published in June by Australian researchers found limited evidence that teenagers had significantly reduced their use of social media following the ban.
The debate highlights the growing challenge governments face in balancing child safety online with the practical difficulties of enforcing age-based restrictions in the digital era.
