Government to work on social media ban for under-16s, despite ACT disagreement

Sunday, 11 May 2025

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Cabinet will consider a social media ban on under-16s, despite coalition partner ACT declaring its opposition.

At a Sunday afternoon launch event in Auckland for campaign group B416, which is pushing for a ban like that being progressed in Australia, Luxon announced he was tasking Education Minister Erica Stanford with investigating how social media could be restricted in New Zealand.

B416 is headed by high-flying Auckland mums. My Food Bag founder Cecilia Robinson and former Xero executive and Kiwibank director Anna Curzon are co-chairs, and Anna Mowbray, a richlister and co-founder of toy company Zuru, is involved.

Luxon was accompanied to the event by his wife, Amanda. Also at the event were Mowbray’s husband, former All Black Ali Williams, RNZ broadcaster Jesse Mulligan, Mt Albert MP Helen White, and ACT leader David Seymour - despite his opposition.

Luxon told the audience he had received positive feedback from the Government’s earlier ban of cellphone use in schools, and while restricting social media was a trickier challenge “we have to try”.

Days earlier, on Tuesday, Luxon had backed National MP Catherine Wedd in producing a members’ bill that would compel a ban. However this bill, which is not a Government bill, remains in a ballot of members’ bills and its introduction into the House is uncertain.

“The overwhelmingly positive response from mums and dads makes it clear we need to progress options to restrict social media for under-16s and as such, I have tasked Erica Stanford to lead this work,” Luxon said, on Sunday.

“I am concerned by the harm social media can cause young New Zealanders and I believe restricting access for under-16s would help protect our kids from bullying, harmful content and social media addiction.”

Luxon said Australia, having already legislation for a ban, was exploring options for how to implement this. Stanford would investigate this and consider what the UK, EU, Canada and a number of US states were also doing.

“Erica will work across Government to explore options for legislation and implementation and bring these to Cabinet for consideration.”

For this, the scope of Stanford’s education portfolio would be amended.

Luxon said Wedd’s bill remained in the members’ bill ballot and he wanted to see how it could “feed into” the Government process.

ACT leader David Seymour earlier this week said his party shared concerns about social media doing “enormous harm to young people”, but a ban would be “wrong” and “not workable”.

“ACT is concerned about the practicalities of a ban. For example, requiring all social media users to provide government identification to social media companies would raise privacy issues.

“Instead, we ask the Education and Workforce Committee to hold an open, transparent inquiry. The inquiry should hear all voices and solutions to find a workable solution that respects parental responsibility.”

Seymour said the bill, as written, “more or less includes the entire internet” and New Zealand would be better to learn from the mistake Australia’s law may produce once it comes into effect.

But coalition partner NZ First appears to back Wedd’s members’ bill - and possible Government involvement. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said the bill had “all the hallmarks of being very necessary” and it should be a Government bill.

Labour’s children and education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said the party is open to a conversation about banning social media for under-16s.

Prime is “pleased the Government listened when we said this should be a Government Bill”.

“But right now mums want to hear from the Government about how they’re going to help them pay the bills. National is using this as a distraction from their appalling decision to cut women’s pay.”