This page is about a bill. That means that it's not the law yet, but some people want it to be the law. It could change quickly, and some of the information is just a draft.

Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill

Introduction

You could also call this:

"Keeping You Safe on Social Media"

Illustration for Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill

This Bill wants to protect you from the bad things about social media if you are under 16. It aims to reduce cyberbullying, harmful content, and people exploiting you online. It also wants to keep your private information safe from companies and data breaches. The Bill thinks social media can be bad for you and wants to stop you from using it if you are under 16. It will make social media platforms check your age before you can make an account. It will also teach you and your parents how to be safe online. This is important because social media can have bad effects on you. The Bill wants to keep you safe and make the internet a better place for you to use.

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This page was last updated on 27 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1536435-general-policy-statement.

Topics:

Family and relationships > Children and parentingRights and equality > Anti-discriminationRights and equality > PrivacyHealth and wellbeing > Mental health

Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill, or

"Proposed Law to Keep Kids Safe on Social Media"

Clause by clause analysis, or

"Breaking down the Social Media Bill into smaller parts to understand what it says"

General policy statement

This Bill seeks to protect young New Zealanders from the harms of social media by regulating access for individuals under the age of 16. The policy aims to:

reduce the risks to young people of cyberbullying, harmful content, and online exploitation
safeguard young users’ privacy from commercial exploitation and data breaches
encourage healthier social interactions and offline activities.

There are signs that social media use can have a negative impact on young people.

The Bill mandates that social media platforms implement strict age verification measures to prevent under-16s from creating accounts. It introduces regulatory oversight to ensure compliance and penalise non-compliant platforms. Additionally, it promotes digital literacy and public awareness programs to educate parents and children on safe online behaviour.

This approach is essential given the increasing negative impacts of social media on young users. Aligning with international efforts, including Australia’s recent policy shift, the Bill provides a proactive, enforceable solution to safeguard children while fostering a safer digital environment.