New Zealand joins the global push to keep under-16s off social media

New Zealand will introduce a bill requiring platforms to verify users are over 16, though two of three coalition partners oppose it and no vote will happen before November’s election. France’s under-15 ban takes effect on 1 September with its age verification mandate stripped out.

New Zealand will introduce a bill on Monday requiring social media platforms to check that users are over 16. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says penalties for non-compliance could reach 10% of a platform’s global revenue.

It is not close to becoming law. The bill will not progress before the 7 November election, and two of the three parties in Luxon’s coalition have said they will not support it.

The objection from inside the government is the interesting one. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says no method fulfils the bill’s intent “without banning VPNs or the use of digital ID to enforce the...

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