New Zealand’s main opposition party supports social media ban for under-16s

SYDNEY – Labour, New Zealand’s main opposition party, said on Aug 25 it would support a ban on social media for under-16s, removing a major obstacle for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon after his coalition partners said they would block the legislation.

Luxon on Aug 24 said the proposed laws require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages, including by utilising existing account information, facial technology and digital identity documents. Platforms could face fines of up to 10 per cent of global revenue for non-compliance.

“With Labour’s support, there is no reason for the government to delay the Bill and we expect to see it through its first reading before the election,” Labour leader Chris Hipkins said in a statement.

Luxon’s two coalition partners, the New Zealand First party and the ACT Party, said on Aug 25 they would not support the Bill, raising the possibility that it may fail to pass through Parliament before an election scheduled for Nov 7.

“We have been concerned with the proposed legislation and the direction and slippery slope that legislation like this will inevitably take our country,” New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who is also the country’s foreign minister, said in a post on social media platform X.

Australia was the first country to ban social media for under-16s and many others, including Britain, are taking steps to curb access to the platforms for children and younger teenagers. REUTERS