New Zealand to Ban Social Media for Under-16s
New Zealand plans to ban children under 16 from using social media, with proposed legislation requiring age verification and imposing fines of up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance.
Consensus
- The New Zealand government plans to introduce legislation banning children under 16 from using social media.
- The proposed law requires social media platforms to verify user age.
- Platforms that fail to comply may face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.
- The initiative is led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the National Party.
- The law would apply to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
- A third of New Zealand teenagers aged 13–17 spend at least five hours daily on social media.
- The proposed ban is part of a broader international trend, with similar measures in place or under consideration in Australia, France, and Canada.
Points of divergence
- The law would not apply to messaging apps like WhatsApp, online gaming platforms like Roblox, or AI applications such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot. — interfax
- The opposition parties 'Consumer and Taxpayer Association' and 'New Zealand First' have announced plans to vote against the bill. — interfax
- The French Constitutional Council blocked a similar law targeting children under 15, citing violations of freedom of expression. — vedomosti
- The law would require companies to regularly assess risks to users and report on risk mitigation measures. — kommerstant
- Age verification could be conducted using facial recognition, identity documents, or digital ID. — interfax
- The Canadian government introduced a bill in June that could restrict social media access for children under 16 unless platforms prove their safety for minors. — vedomosti
Coverage (3 sources)
- New Zealand wants to ban social networks for children under 16 — Коммерсантъ
- New Zealand plans to introduce a ban on social networks for children under 16 — Интерфакс
- New Zealand plans to ban social networks for children under 16 — Ведомости