Bloomberg

New Zealand Plans Social Media Ban For Under 16S

Radio New Zealand (RNZ)

Govt pushes ahead with social media ban for under-16s

1 News

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Independent

New Zealand's prime minister proposes banning children from using social media

CTV News

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Dw.Com

New Zealand proposes social media ban for under-16s

The Straits Times

New Zealand to introduce Bill banning social media for children under 16

China Daily

New Zealand plans social media ban for under-16s

Türkiye Newspaper

New Zealand moves to ban social media for under-16s

Stuff

Social media giants oppose NZ Governments under-16 ban plan

New Zealand to introduce bill banning social media for children under 16

News.com.au

B385C8B03C07Ae7Fd84Cae4Cb505A8Ff

winstonpeters

Rova

OPINION: Is It Time to Ban Kiwi Teens from Social Media? Absolutely

chrisluxonmp

Metaculus

Account With 1B Followers Before 2031

Anthony Albanese

9News Australia

Terry Flew

Australian Human Rights Commission

Aaron Mackey

Joanne Orlando

Melissa McIntosh

Damini Satija

Julie Inman Grant

Timothy Koskie

"They took the easy option, and it will fail."

“New accounts are being created and the age-verification tools that the government assured Australians would be effective, have proven laughably easy to bypass with some makeup and good lighting.”

“Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”

"Some verification methods are often inaccurate while others are easily circumvented.”

"Technological workarounds – such as VPNs and false age declarations – may undermine the effectiveness of the ban."

"This law will also push many users toward platforms that are more personal and private, like Telegram channels, WhatsApp Communities, and Signal Groups, which are not currently banned because they are important tools for encrypted and direct communication."

David Inserra

“Ultimately, reducing online harm would be a great outcome; however, we know from evidence that ‘banning’ anything from young people won’t work on its own.”

Louise La Sala

“There’s a fair amount of teething problems around it. Many young people have been posting on TikTok that they successfully evaded the age limitations and that’s to be expected.”

"I think it will help a lot of parents because it's not them saying no, it's an actual law."

Cassie Xintavelonis

“We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol.”

“The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear national standard.”

"Just as the banning of phones in school classrooms by many state governments hasn't on day one led to perfect compliance, now it's just accepted that there are improved educational outcomes, improved behaviour, improved social outcomes as a result."

"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach.”

Will Australia's Under 16 Social Media Ban be Effective?

New Zealand's National Party introduced the Online Safety Bill in Parliament on Monday, seeking to ban children under 16 from social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.

New Zealand's National Party introduced the Online Safety Bill in Parliament on Monday, seeking to ban children under 16 from social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.

The bill would require platforms to verify users are over 16 using facial age estimation, digital ID and existing account information, with fines of up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance.

The bill would require platforms to verify users are over 16 using facial age estimation, digital ID and existing account information, with fines of up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance.

The bill is unlikely to pass before parliament dissolves Oct. 1 ahead of a Nov. 7 election, as coalition partners ACT and NZ First have both said they will vote against it.

The bill is unlikely to pass before parliament dissolves Oct. 1 ahead of a Nov. 7 election, as coalition partners ACT and NZ First have both said they will vote against it.

NZ First leader Winston Peters called Australia's comparable law a "colossal failure," while ACT leader David Seymour said the proposed fines of up to 10% of global revenue were not a "serious solution."

Guardian

NZ First leader Winston Peters called Australia's comparable law a "colossal failure," while ACT leader David Seymour said the proposed fines of up to 10% of global revenue were not a "serious solution."

Meta called the proposed ban "counterproductive," arguing it would push teens toward less regulated online spaces and that age checks should instead occur at the app store or operating system level.

Meta called the proposed ban "counterproductive," arguing it would push teens toward less regulated online spaces and that age checks should instead occur at the app store or operating system level.

Australia enacted the world's first under-16 social media ban in December 2025. A peer-reviewed study published in June found little evidence the restrictions reduced teen social media use.

Australia enacted the world's first under-16 social media ban in December 2025. A peer-reviewed study published in June found little evidence the restrictions reduced teen social media use.

NZ Bill Seeks Social Media Ban for Under-16s

NewNZ ZealandBill MullsSeeks Social Media Ban Forfor childrenUnder-16s

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NZ Bill Seeks Social Media Ban for Under-16s

NewNZ ZealandBill MullsSeeks Social Media Ban Forfor childrenUnder-16s

The Controversies

Australia

McIntosh

Orlando

Mackey

Commission

Inserra

Sala

Flew

Xintavelonis

Grant

Albanese

Albanese

Koskie

Go Deeper

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