New Zealand PM proposes banning under-16s from social media

New Zealand's premier curate connected Tuesday projected banning children nether 16 from societal media, stressing the request to support them from the perils of large tech platforms.

Regulators the satellite implicit are wrestling with however to support children harmless online, arsenic societal media is progressively flooded with convulsive and disturbing content.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon unveiled draught laws that would unit societal media companies to verify users were astatine slightest 16 years old, oregon look fines of up to NZ$2 cardinal (US$1.2 million).

The projected prohibition was modelled connected that of Australia, which sits astatine the forefront of planetary efforts to modulate societal media.

"This is astir protecting our children. It's astir making definite societal media companies are playing their relation successful keeping our kids safe," Luxon said.

It was not wide erstwhile the authorities would beryllium introduced to parliament, but Luxon said helium was hopeful of garnering enactment crossed the chamber.

The laws were drafted by Luxon's centre-right National Party, the biggest subordinate successful New Zealand's three-way governing coalition.

To beryllium passed they would request the enactment of Luxon's 2 different conjugation partners.

"Parents are perpetually telling america that they are truly disquieted astir the interaction that societal media is having connected their children," Luxon said.

"And they accidental they are truly struggling to negociate entree to societal media."

Australia passed landmark laws successful November banning under-16s from societal media -- 1 of the world's toughest crackdowns connected fashionable sites specified arsenic Facebook, Instagram and X.

The determination sparked a fierce backlash from big tech companies who variously described the laws arsenic "rushed", "vague", and "problematic".