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

New Zealand's government has proposed a law to ban social media use for children under 16, citing concerns over mental health and exposure to harmful content. The proposed law, introduced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, aims to protect young people from the negative effects of social media, including addictive technology, harmful content, and pressures that affect their family life, mental health, sleep, and education.

According to Luxon, one in three children aged 13-17 in New Zealand spend at least five hours a day on social media. The proposed law would require social media companies, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook, to take "reasonable steps" to verify users' ages and assess the risks they pose. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue.

The bill has not yet attracted enough support to pass into law, with two of the three parties in Luxon's coalition government voting against it. The proposal comes as part of a global trend, with countries such as Australia, the UK, and France introducing or considering age restrictions on social media platforms.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Associated Press, Punch Nigeria, IOL, The Korea Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.