New Zealand proposes social media ban for children under 16

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 26, 2026 at 12:38 PM

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New Zealand proposes social media ban for children under 16

New Zealand introduced the Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill in Parliament on August 24th, requiring high-risk platforms to verify users are at least 16. Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue. The bill faces opposition from coalition partners Act and New Zealand First, even as Australia's similar ban has raised doubts about effectiveness.

Key Facts

The bill requires high-risk platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok to ensure users are at least 16 years old.
Platforms that fail to meet their obligations could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated that 1 in 3 children aged 13-17 spends at least 5 hours a day on social media.
Coalition partners Act and New Zealand First have said they would oppose the bill, making its passage uncertain.

The Bill

The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill was introduced in Parliament on August 24th. It requires high-risk social media platforms to verify that users are at least 16 years old. Platforms may use existing account information, facial age recognition technology, or digital ID services for age verification. The bill also obligates platforms to regularly assess risks posed by young users and report on how these risks are identified and reduced.

Enforcement and Penalties

The government intends to establish an online safety regulator within the Department of Internal Affairs. The regulator will independently monitor compliance and enforce the law. Platforms that fail to meet their obligations could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.

Political Context

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children. Minister of Education Erica Stanford stated the legal framework will bring New Zealand in line with other countries. Coalition partners Act and New Zealand First have said they would oppose the bill, making its passage uncertain. Australia became the first country to officially ban social media for under-16s in December 2025.

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New Zealand proposes social media ban for children under 16

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Politics

New Zealand PM Luxon introduces bill banning social media for under-16s

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday his party will introduce a bill in Parliament to ban children under 16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10% of a platform's global revenue for non-compliance. The bill would require platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users' ages, including using account information, facial technology and digital identity documents. The move follows Australia's December ban on social media for under-16s, which New Zealand First leader Winston Peters called a 'colossal failure'.

Entertainment

Kazakhstan weighs under-16 social media ban to protect teen mental health

Kazakhstan is considering banning children under 16 from registering on social media platforms, according to draft amendments developed by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The proposed legislation targets cyberbullying, harmful content, and excessive screen time linked to adolescent mental health concerns.

Science

Australian study finds 81% of teens ignore social media ban

A survey by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner reveals that six months after a world-first ban on social media for under-16s, 81% of teenagers remain on platforms. The study, released in July 2026, shows 58% use them daily, with no significant drop in engagement. The findings come even as Canberra doubled maximum fines for non-compliance to 100 million Australian dollars in June.

Technology

Australia's under-16 social media ban cuts account ownership 10 points

The share of Australian children under 16 with social media accounts dropped to 42.1 percent from 52.4 percent three months after a nationwide ban took effect, according to the first government report on the law’s impact. Overall access to restricted platforms fell only modestly, to 81.5 percent from 85.9 percent, as many services remain accessible without an account. At the same time, use of non-restricted platforms including Pinterest climbed to 21.8 percent.

New Zealand proposes social media ban for children under 16

Key Facts

The Bill

Enforcement and Penalties

Political Context

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