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Kuwait Times reported that the New Zealand government introduced legislation on August 24, 2026, to prohibit individuals under 16 from holding accounts on social media services with features such as recommender algorithms, endless scrolling, likes and disappearing content. The bill, formally known as the Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill, additionally requires platforms to conduct and file annual risk assessments covering all users under 18. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon presented the measure as essential protection for a generation exposed to online harms.[[1]](https://kuwaittimes.com/article/48677/technology/new-zealand-moves-to-ban-social-media-for-under-16s/)
Luxon cited figures showing one in three children between 13 and 17 years old spends at least five hours daily on social media. “We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children,” Luxon said. He added that such platforms expose young users to harmful content, addictive technology and social pressures that affect family relationships, mental health, sleep and education.
Platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook would need to take reasonable steps to verify that users are over 16, employing tools such as facial age estimation, digital ID services and formal identification rather than self-declared dates of birth. The legislation explicitly excludes messaging apps like WhatsApp, online gaming services such as Roblox and productivity-oriented AI applications including ChatGPT. Social AI companions would however be covered by the minimum-age rules.[[2]](https://apnews.com/article/new-zealand-social-media-ban-under-16-e6a4f600a60ee41d27bbb4232b5df705)
Companies failing to meet their obligations could face penalties of up to 10 percent of global revenue or tens of millions of dollars, a steeper sanction than the maximum AUD 50 million fine in Australia’s comparable regime introduced in December 2025. No penalties would apply to children, parents or caregivers. Education Minister Erica Stanford stated that the framework places legal duties on technology firms rather than families.[[3]](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj068q7qj19o)
Coalition partners ACT and New Zealand First have declared they will vote against the bill, leaving its passage dependent on support from opposition parties such as Labour ahead of the November 7 general election. Parliament is scheduled to rise on September 24 without a first reading, meaning the next government will decide whether the legislation proceeds. Winston Peters of New Zealand First described the Australian precedent as a “colossal failure” and argued that parents should retain primary responsibility.[[4]](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-introduce-bill-banning-social-media-children-under-16-2026-08-24/)
The proposal follows Australia’s world-first social media ban for those under 16 and aligns with preparations in the United Kingdom, France and Greece to introduce similar age restrictions next year. New Zealand’s measure would take effect six months after royal assent if enacted and would be subject to formal review within two years. Platforms must apply the rules to both new and existing accounts.[[5]](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-24/new-zealand-plans-social-media-ban-for-under-16s)
The bill further obliges services regularly used by children to assess and report on risks including bullying, violence and sexually explicit material, with a senior executive held criminally liable for knowingly false filings. Government materials indicate the legislation forms the first phase of a broader online-safety strategy that can adapt as technology changes. Luxon noted that real-world protections for children must extend into virtual environments.
