The Government says a new Bill that will see a ban on under-16s using social media and greater responsibilities placed on tech companies, will help to better protect Kiwi kids online.
The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill, which was introduced to Parliament yesterday, will:
- Establish an online safety regulator within the Department of Internal Affairs to independently monitor compliance, investigate platforms and enforce the law.Bill was introduced into Parliament yesterday;
- Require high risk social media platforms – like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook – to take reasonable steps to check users are over the age of 16 by using a number of methods including; using existing account information, facial age estimation, digital ID services and formal ID;
- Require platforms used by children to regularly assess the risks they pose and report on how those risks are being identified and reduced;
- Introduce significant penalties for companies that fail to meet their obligations – up to 10 per cent of a platform’s global revenue;
- Bring emerging technologies, including AI companion platforms, within the regulatory framework.
“We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children,” says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
“One in three children aged between 13 and 17 are now spending at least five hours on social media a day.
“Social media is exposing them to harmful content, addictive technology and pressures they are not equipped to deal with and it’s affecting their family life, mental health, sleep, and education.
“Obviously, parents have a role to play in monitoring what social media platform their children are on, but so do social media companies.
“We have protections to keep children safe in the real world and we need them in the virtual world too.”
Education Minister, Erica Stanford said the Bill will bring New Zealand into line with other countries around the world that are placing greater responsibility on technology companies to protect children online.
“The Bill places legal obligations on platforms. No penalties are proposed for children, their parents or caregivers,” Ms Stanford says.
“It doesn’t just introduce a minimum age requirement. It creates an enduring framework that can evolve alongside technology and holds platforms responsible for understanding and reducing the risks they create for children.”
In addition to the protections introduced with this Bill, the Government says it will work to strengthen education and public awareness, giving parents, schools and communities have the information and tools they need to help children navigate the online world safely.
“We know that we will not get every single child off social media, but early evidence from Australia shows minimum age requirements are already changing behaviour. This is about making a meaningful difference now and changing the norm for future generations,” says Prime Minister Luxon.
