New Zealand’s government has announced plans to bar children under 16 from using social media, citing 'growing concerns over online harm' — but the proposal has drawn criticism for mirroring Australia’s poorly defined and heavily criticised crackdown.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon revealed draft legislation on Tuesday that would force social media platforms to verify users are at least 16 years old or face fines of up to NZ$2 million (A$1.85 million).

“It’s time that New Zealand acknowledged that, for all the good things that come from social media, it’s not always a safe place for our young people to be,” Luxon told reporters. “It’s time we put the onus on these platforms to protect vulnerable children from harmful content, cyberbullying and exploitation.”

The proposed law echoes Australia’s sweeping legislation passed in November — one of the harshest globally — which bans children under 16 from accessing platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X. However, it remains unclear how either country will enforce the laws or verify users' ages without serious privacy trade-offs.

Australia’s legislation sparked backlash from digital rights advocates and tech companies who labelled the move “rushed”, “vague”, and “problematic”. Critics have pointed out that platforms like YouTube are likely to be exempt to allow school access, raising further doubts about consistency and effectiveness.

Despite these unresolved issues, Luxon claimed public support for the move. “Parents are constantly telling us that they are really worried about the impact that social media is having on their children,” he said. “And they say they are really struggling to manage access to social media.”

Catherine Wedd from the National Party, who helped draft the bill, said: “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children’s online exposure.”

The legislation still requires backing from Luxon’s coalition partners and has not yet been introduced to parliament.

Last year, New Zealand banned mobile phones in schools — another policy borrowed from Australia — but critics argue these symbolic measures fail to address deeper problems around tech addiction and online safety.

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