New Zealand proposes social media ban for under-16s with fines reaching 10% of global revenue

New Zealand's legislative proposal

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced on Monday that New Zealand will introduce the Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill. The proposed legislation prohibits children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. Under the framework, technology companies must implement age-verification mechanisms using digital identity documents, facial technology, and existing account records. Non-compliant firms face regulatory penalties of up to 10% of their global revenues.

Luxon framed the measure as a necessary step to protect youth from online risks and addictive platform algorithms.

Social media is exposing them to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures they are not equipped to deal with and it's affecting their family life, mental health, sleep and education.

Coalition resistance in Wellington

The draft bill faces an uncertain legislative path because coalition partner New Zealand First confirmed its formal opposition. Party leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters argued that managing children's platform access belongs to parents rather than state regulators. Peters pointed to Australia's framework as a flawed approach and cautioned against expanding state intervention.

We've been concerned with the proposed legislation and the direction and slippery slope that legislation like this will inevitably take our country.

Luxon acknowledged the practical hurdles of enforcing online age limits while maintaining that government intervention remains essential.

We won't get every single child off social media. Some will always find ways around it, but frankly, it's just way too important not to at least try.

Precedents from Australia and Asia

New Zealand's proposal follows Australia, which became the first nation to ban social media for users under 16 on December 10, 2025. The Australian law blocks under-16 access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube, and Meta's Instagram and Facebook, enforcing fines of up to A$49.5 million ($34.9 million) for violations.

Other regional governments have implemented different control mechanisms. China operates a device-level minor mode programme that restricts application access and screen time based on user age brackets. In India, the chief economic adviser urged the government in January to establish statutory age limits, describing engagement tactics on social platforms as predatory.

European regulatory initiatives

European administrations are advancing their own measures with mixed legislative outcomes. Britain aims to approve an under-16 social media ban by Christmas, with implementation scheduled for around spring 2027. British plans also require hardware manufacturers like Apple and Google to deploy device-level tools blocking the circulation of nude images among minors.

Across continental Europe, legal frameworks differ by jurisdiction. France's parliament approved an under-15 ban in July, but the country's top constitutional court blocked the measure on August 14, ruling that it infringed upon freedom of expression. Denmark announced plans in November to prohibit access for children under 15 while allowing parental consent down to age 13. Germany mandates parental consent for users aged 13 to 16, and Greece indicated in February that it was preparing an under-15 ban.