WELLINGTON – New Zealand’s governing National Party wants to restrict access to social media for those aged under 16 years, mirroring a move in Australia that sparked criticism from global tech giants.
A so-called members’ Bill was put forward on May 6 by National parliamentarian Catherine Wedd, with endorsement from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Such a Bill has to be selected from a ballot to be formally introduced into Parliament, and would require the support of National’s coalition partners or the opposition to become law.
“My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill is about protecting young people from bullying, inappropriate content and social media addiction by restricting access for under 16-year-olds,” Ms Wedd said in a statement.
“The Bill puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms.”
Australia in late 2024 passed a law that banned children under the age of 16 from setting up accounts on popular social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
Global tech giants such as Meta and Google were critical of the Australian legislation, which made them responsible for policing the ban under the threat of heavy fines.
A number of other nations and US states have attempted to or are planning to curb children’s access to social media.
The draft New Zealand legislation proposes financial penalties, with the courts empowered to fine platforms that fail to uphold age restrictions.
Platforms would be able to rely on reasonable verification measures to demonstrate compliance.
Ms Wedd said parents and school principals tell her they struggle to manage access to social media and are worried about the effect it is having on their children.
The National-led government has already banned the use of mobile phones in schools. BLOOMBERG
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