NEW ZEALAND’S Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today unveiled a proposed law banning children younger than 16 from using social media platforms.

Mr Luxon cited what he said was “harm being done to a generation” of young people.

He said 2025 research showed a third of New Zealand teenagers spent at least five hours a day on social media.

Mr Luxon said: “Social media is exposing them to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures they are not equipped to deal with and it’s affecting their family life, mental health, sleep, and education.” 

However, the Bill hasn’t yet attracted enough support to pass into law because two of the three parties in his coalition government will vote against it. 

Passage would require support from opposition lawmakers, who have yet to decide how they would vote but there is not enough time for lawmakers to hold a vote on the proposal before parliament dissolves on October 1 ahead of November’s election.

Social media platforms would be required to “take reasonable steps” to check users were older than 16.

This could include “facial age estimation and digital ID services,” the proposal said.

No penalties are proposed for parents or children, but tech firms could be fined up to 10 per cent of their global revenue for failing to meet their obligations.