The New Zealand Executive has joined this Monday the group of countries that propose to prevent access to social networks for those under 16 years old due to their addictive nature, forcing technology companies to implement age verification systems for all users.
"We are going to prohibit the use of social networks for those under 16 years old. One in three children already spends five hours a day on social networks, which significantly affects their family life, their relationships, their sleep, their mental health, and, of course, their education," announced Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
In the same vein, he emphasized that these platforms expose young people to "harmful content, addictive technology, and pressures." "There are already measures to ensure the protection of children in the real world, and we also need them in the virtual world," he defended in a statement released by the Government.
The legislative text registered in Parliament aims to force networks like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook to adopt "reasonable" measures to verify if users are under 16 years old, considering tools such as facial estimation systems or digital identification, in addition to requiring reports on the potential risks that the networks pose to minors.
The plan also provides for "significant penalties for companies that do not comply with their obligations" of up to "10% of global revenues" and creates a supervisory authority within the Ministry of the Interior "to independently oversee compliance, investigate the platforms, and enforce the laws."
The Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, has specified that the proposal "imposes legal obligations on the platforms" and that fines are not contemplated for minors or their parents or legal guardians.
However, the libertarian ACT party and the populist New Zealand First, coalition partners of Luxon's National Party, have expressed their rejection of the initiative, so the future of the regulation remains uncertain.
Australia became in December 2025 the first country in the world to prohibit the use of social networks for those under 16 years old, after the approval in its Parliament of a law promoted by the Government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to strengthen the psychological and social well-being of minors.