The latest country to introduce a social media ban for kids? New Zealand.Announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday, a new bill proposed by the government would prevent children under 16 from accessing social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, as well as AI companions.The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill will also "put greater responsibilities" on tech companies to protect children online.
"Obviously, parents have a role to play in monitoring what social media platform their children are on, but so do social media companies," Luxon said in a press statement. "We have protections to keep children safe in the real world and we need them in the virtual world too."
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Like Australia's precedent-setting social media ban and subsequent moves in other countries, the Online Safety Bill will require "high risk" social media companies to take "reasonable steps" to ensure age verification functions properly on their platforms — including using age estimation tools and digital ID services. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook were named as "high risk," with the government including AI companions under the law's scope.
