New Zealand has taken a major step towards restricting social media use by children under the age of 16, introducing legislation aimed at protecting young people from what the government considers the harmful effects of online platforms.
The proposed law would place the responsibility primarily on social media companies rather than on children or their parents. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has argued that children are being exposed to harmful material, addictive technologies and online pressures that they are not sufficiently equipped to handle. The government is particularly concerned about the effects of excessive social media use on children’s mental health, sleep, education and family relationships.
According to the government, one in three New Zealanders aged between 13 and 17 spends at least five hours a day on social media. Under the proposed Online Safety Bill, major platforms would have to take reasonable steps to ensure that their users are at least 16 years old. Companies could use existing account information, facial age-estimation technology, digital identity services or formal identification documents to establish the age of users.
The legislation would also require platforms to assess the risks their services pose to children and explain what measures they are taking to reduce those risks. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of as much as 10 percent of their global revenue.
Ali Azhar, Islamabad
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Comments