New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has unveiled a proposed law that would ban children under 16 from using social media platforms, arguing that the country can no longer ignore the scale of harm facing young people online.
Luxon said that if re‑elected in November, his government would move swiftly to introduce age restrictions similar to Australia’s world‑first under‑16 ban enacted in December 2025. “We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children,” he said, pointing to 2025 research showing one‑third of New Zealand teenagers spend at least five hours a day on social media.
Under the proposed law, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook could face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global revenue if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to verify users are over 16. Unlike Australia, which imposes a maximum fine of $99 million, New Zealand’s penalty system targets companies more aggressively through revenue‑based enforcement.
Parents and children would not be penalised under the bill mirroring Australia’s approach.
Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, online gaming platforms like Roblox, and productivity‑focused AI tools including ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot are excluded from both countries’ restrictions.
Luxon’s proposal places New Zealand among a growing number of nations grappling with how to regulate social media’s impact on young people, as concerns mount over mental health, addictive design features and exposure to harmful content.
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