The New Zealand government is set to introduce legislation on Monday proposing a ban on use of social media for children under 16.
The country has been seeking to restrict young people’s access to platforms such as Instagram and TikTok for over a year, after neighbouring Australia implemented its world-first legislation in December.
The proposed legislation ‘Online Safety Bill’ proposes a fine on firms like Meta, of up to 10% of their global revenue if they fail to comply.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children.
He further stressed that one in three children aged between 13 and 17 are now spending at least 5 hours on social media a day.
Calling out platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook, Luxon said that social media is exposing children to harmful content and addictive technology.
