The latest country to introduce a social media ban for kids? New Zealand.
Announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday, a new bill proposed by the government would prevent children under 16 from accessing social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, as well as AI companions.
The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill will also “put greater responsibilities” on tech companies to protect children online.
“Obviously, parents have a role to play in monitoring what social media platform their children are on, but so do social media companies,” Luxon said in a press statement. “We have protections to keep children safe in the real world and we need them in the virtual world too.”
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Like Australia’s precedent-setting social media ban and subsequent moves in other countries, the Online Safety Bill will require “high risk” social media companies to take “reasonable steps” to ensure age verification functions properly on their platforms — including using age estimation tools and digital ID services. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook were named as “high risk,” with the government including AI companions under the law’s scope.
Online age verification laws have been rolling out across the globe over the last few years alongside online safety acts, while coming under criticism for efficiency and their impact on digital privacy and free speech.
Companies could be fined up to $40 million or 10 percent of a platform’s global revenue for failing to meet the New Zealand bill’s requirements. Introduced on Monday, the Online Safety Bill will need to be approved by parliament, after which platforms will have six months to comply with the terms.
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The proposed law will also mean social media companies will need to regularly assess and report on potential risks for users under 18, and an online safety regulator will be established within New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs, which will oversee the bill.
“New Zealand’s current regulatory framework does not adequately safeguard children online,” the bill reads. “While some protections exist, there is no overarching framework that regulates social media platforms or platforms with social AI companions to help protect children from the risk of online harm.”
Children under 16 are consistently finding themselves at the fore of political conversations around social media, with countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, Brazil, and more aiming to reduce Big Tech companies’ hold on young people’s attention. For more, read Mashable’s guide to the countries where social media is banned for kids.
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