New Zealand to introduce bill banning social media for children under 16

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced plans to introduce legislation in Parliament that would ban children under 16 from using social media. The bill proposes imposing fines of up to 10% of a platform's global revenue for non-compliance. Social media companies would be required to verify users' ages through existing account information, facial recognition technology, and digital identity documents.

Luxon argued that social media exposes children to harmful content, addictive technology, and pressures they are not prepared to handle, impacting their family life, mental health, sleep, and education. However, the New Zealand First party, a coalition partner of Luxon's, expressed concerns about the potential slippery slope of such legislation, stating it would take the country down a problematic path.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters disagreed with the proposal, asserting that the responsibility of keeping children away from social media lies with parents. In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, but its implementation was deemed a "colossal failure," according to Peters, who believes parents should bear the responsibility of protecting their children from social media.