 "New Zealand: Bill to ban children below 16 from social media introduced")
On Tuesday, New Zealand’s prime minister recommended banning children under the age of 16 from social media, emphasising the need to protect them from the dangers of giant internet platforms.
With violent and offensive content flooding social media platforms, policymakers and regulators in several countries are debating how to ensure physical and mental safety of children
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon introduced proposed legislation that would require social media sites to verify that users were at least 16 years old, or face fines of up to NZ$2 million.
Australia, a leader in international attempts to control social media, recently approved stringent regulations that served as the foundation for the proposed ban.
“It’s time that New Zealand acknowledged that, for all the good things that come from social media, it’s not always a safe place for our young people to be,” Luxon told reporters.
“It’s time we put the onus on these platforms to protect vulnerable children from harmful content, cyberbullying, and exploitation.”
It was not clear when the legislation would be introduced to parliament, but Luxon said he was hopeful of garnering support across the chamber.
The laws were drafted by Luxon’s centre-right National Party, the biggest member in New Zealand’s three-way governing coalition.
To be passed they would need the support of Luxon’s two other coalition partners.
“Parents are constantly telling us that they are really worried about the impact that social media is having on their children,” Luxon said.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“And they say they are really struggling to manage access to social media.”
‘Online exposure’
National Party lawmaker Catherine Wedd, who drafted the bill, said it would hold social media companies to account.
“As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children’s online exposure,” she said.
The proposed laws do not specify which social media companies would be covered in New Zealand.
Last year, New Zealand banned children from using mobile phones while at school – a policy designed to turn around the country’s plummeting literacy rates.
Australia passed landmark laws in November restricting under-16s from social media – one of the world’s toughest crackdowns on popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram and X.
But video-sharing website YouTube will likely be exempt from Australia’s ban so children can use it for their school work.
Officials are yet to solve basic questions surrounding the laws, such as how the ban will be policed.
The move sparked a fierce backlash from big tech companies who variously described the laws as “rushed”, “vague”, and “problematic”.
Australia’s ban is set to come into effect by December.
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