New Zealand Joins Global Efforts to Restrict Under-16s on Social Media
New Zealand is set to introduce a bill requiring social media platforms to verify users are over 16, with potential penalties reaching 10% of a platform’s global revenue. Despite Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s push, the bill faces opposition from two of the three parties in his coalition and will not be voted on before November’s election.
Key Takeaways:
- The bill will not become law before the election.
- Two coalition partners oppose the bill.
- New Zealand First leader Winston Peters argues for stricter methods to enforce the age restriction.
- Luxon counters that the potential financial penalties would be a powerful deterrent for platform CEOs worldwide.
- Australia’s ban on underage users had limited success.
- France recently implemented a ban on under-15s, but removed a key verification component.
- Enforcement in Europe now relies on the Digital Services Act, which was not designed for this purpose.
- The European Parliament has called for a harmonized digital age minimum of 16, with parental consent allowed for younger users.
- Estonia is the only EU country opposing social media bans for children.
The global trend towards restricting social media access for minors continues, but the effectiveness and best approach remain subjects of debate.