New Zealand to consider banning children under 16 from social media

New Zealand's prime minister Christopher Luxon is set to introduce a bill in parliament that aims to prohibit children under 16 from using social media. The proposed legislation cites the harmful impact social media has on the mental health, sleep patterns, and academic performance of young New Zealanders. If passed, platforms would face fines amounting to up to 10% of their global revenue for failing to verify users' ages through existing information, facial recognition technology, and digital identity documents.

The bill's introduction comes in response to concerns over the exposure of children to addictive technology, harmful content, and societal pressures that they are not yet equipped to handle. Luxon emphasized the urgent need for action, stating that "we simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children."

However, the bill's passage remains uncertain as one of Luxon's coalition partners, New Zealand First, expressed reservations about the proposed legislation. New Zealand First's leader, Winston Peters, who also serves as the country's foreign minister, argued that the legislation would set a dangerous precedent and warned of its potential to create a "slippery slope" for the country.

Peters, whose party had previously blocked social media access for children under 16 in Australia, expressed skepticism about the bill's effectiveness, stating that keeping children off social media should be the responsibility of parents. He acknowledged that the bill might not achieve its intended goals, but emphasized that it was "just way too important not to at least try."

Despite the challenges, Luxon remains optimistic about the bill's prospects, acknowledging that "we won't get every single child off social media" but stressing the importance of taking action nonetheless.