New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said a proposal to ban children under the age of 16 from social media will be part of the government’s work program, increasing its chances of becoming law.
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the work and report back to cabinet with options, Luxon said Sunday in Wellington.
“I am concerned by the harm social media can cause young New Zealanders and I believe restricting access for under-16s would help protect our kids from bullying, harmful content and social media addiction,” he said in a statement. Stanford “will work across government to explore options for legislation and implementation and bring these to Cabinet for consideration,” he said.
Last week, Luxon’s National Party — the largest in the three-party governing coalition — put forward a so-called members’ bill to achieve the restrictions. 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.
Luxon said the members’ bill will remain in the ballot as Stanford’s work progresses.
New Zealand is attempting to match steps in Australia, which late last year 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. The UK, the EU, Canada and some states in the US are also exploring the issue, Luxon said.
As part of her work, Stanford will consider how these other jurisdictions are implementing restrictions and what could work in New Zealand, subject to Cabinet approval, he said.
If approved, the restrictions could become law before the 2026 election, Stanford told Radio New Zealand.
