Unicef boss: An under-16 ban on social media is not the solution for NZ

OpinionOpinion bySusan GlasgowNZ Herald·10 Jun, 2026 01:00 AM5 mins to readSusan Glasgow is United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF] Aotearoa chief executive.More than 60% of Australian children still use social media, despite a ban. Photo / 123rfTHE FACTS More than 60% of children in Australia continue to use social media despite the country’s under-16 ban, a report found.Netsafe found that children of all ages wanted their parents to provide guidance and support when it came to their online world.Other countries, including Australia and the UK, have already put independent regulators at the centre of their online safety frameworks.Families across Aotearoa are rightly concerned about how best to keep children safe online. Over the last year, it has become clear that a blanket ban on social media for under-16s is one of the options being considered.

But Aotearoa does not need to lock children out