The New Zealand Government introduced a new bill on Monday 24 August 2026 that would stop children under 16 from using social media apps like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
The bill would put the responsibility on social media companies, not on children or their parents, to check ages and keep young users off their platforms.
A new online safety regulator would be set up inside the Department of Internal Affairs to enforce the rules. Companies could be told to fix problems, blocked from operating in New Zealand, or face criminal penalties if they don’t follow the law.
To check someone’s age, apps could use existing account details, facial age estimates, digital ID, or official identification.
Apps like WhatsApp, Discord, Roblox and chatbots such as ChatGPT would not be covered by the ban.
Education Minister Erica Stanford is leading the bill, with support from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The National Party backs the bill, and Labour says it supports the idea but wants more detail on how it would work. ACT and New Zealand First are against it.
The bill still needs to go through Parliament before it becomes law, so nothing will change for now.
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