New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has unveiled a bill that seeks to ban children under 16 from using social media. Following Australia's lead, the government argues that access to these platforms is causing harm to a generation of the nation's children.
Luxon stated that social media exposes children to addictive technology, harmful content, and pressures they are not equipped to handle. He noted that these factors are negatively affecting children's education, sleep, mental health, and family life.
The proposed law would require social media platforms to implement reasonable age-verification measures, including the use of facial technology, existing account information, and digital identity documents. Platforms that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 percent of their global revenue.
Despite the government's push for the legislation, the plan is already facing opposition from within the ruling coalition.