New Zealand Proposes Social Media Ban for Users Under 16

New Zealand moves to restrict youth social media access

New Zealand's government has introduced legislation that would prohibit social media platforms from serving users under 16 years old, joining a growing international movement to regulate children's online activity.

The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill, announced Monday by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, targets platforms featuring specific design elements deemed harmful to young users. These include algorithmic recommendation systems, infinite scroll feeds, engagement feedback mechanisms, and time-sensitive features that encourage prolonged use.

The proposed law extends beyond traditional social networks to encompass AI companion services, though it carves out exemptions for messaging applications, professional networking sites, gaming platforms, music services, and tools designed for educational or health purposes.

Verification requirements go beyond standard methods

A distinctive element of New Zealand's approach involves stringent age verification standards. The bill explicitly rejects self-declared birth dates and formal identification documents as sufficient proof of age. Instead, platforms would need to implement alternative verification methods, including facial recognition scans and analysis of user behavior patterns.

This requirement sets a higher bar than many existing age-gate systems, which typically rely on users entering their birth date or uploading government-issued identification.

The legislation also mandates that platforms conduct comprehensive child safety risk assessments for all users under 18, regardless of whether they meet the minimum age threshold. These assessments must address exposure to bullying, violent content, and sexually explicit material.

Why it matters

New Zealand's bill represents a significant test case for how democracies balance child protection with practical enforcement challenges and civil liberties concerns. The facial scanning requirement and behavioral analysis provisions raise questions about privacy trade-offs that will likely influence similar debates in other jurisdictions. With France's constitutional court recently striking down that country's social media ban for violating children's rights, New Zealand's approach faces scrutiny over whether enhanced safety measures justify expanded biometric data collection from minors.

International context and pushback

Prime Minister Luxon cited Australia's experience as evidence that such restrictions can work. Australia implemented the world's first national social media ban for underage users in December 2025, with the government reporting more than 5 million account deletions. Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese has pledged to strengthen enforcement in June, though the government currently faces a constitutional challenge from Reddit.

Several nations are pursuing similar policies, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia, and Türkiye. However, the approach has drawn criticism from human rights advocates. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated in May that blanket bans are not the answer, arguing instead for targeted regulation that mitigates risks while preserving young people's digital rights.

France's Constitutional Council delivered a setback to the ban movement last week when it invalidated that country's restriction, ruling it violated children's rights to free expression, communication, and privacy.

These details were first reported by JURIST.