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Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon has proposed that children under the age of Sixteen should be barred from social media.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stressed the need to shield children from the perils of big tech platforms.<\/p>\n
He unveiled draft laws that would force social media companies to verify users were at least 16 years old, or face fines of up to NZ$2 million (US$1.2 million).<\/p>\n
Regulators the world over are wrestling with how to keep children safe online, as social media is increasingly flooded with violent and disturbing content.<\/p>\n
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The proposed ban was modelled on strict laws recently passed by Australia, which sits at the forefront of global efforts to regulate social media.<\/p>\n
It was not clear when the legislation would be introduced to parliament, but Luxon said he was hopeful of garnering support across the chamber.<\/p>\n
The laws were drafted by Luxon\u2019s centre-right National Party, the biggest member in New Zealand\u2019s three-way governing coalition.<\/p>\n
To be passed they would need the support of Luxon\u2019s two other coalition partners.<\/p>\n
\u201cParents are constantly telling us that they are really worried about the impact that social media is having on their children,\u201d Luxon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they say they are really struggling to manage access to social media.\u201d<\/p>\n
National Party lawmaker Catherine Wedd, who drafted the bill, said it would hold social media companies to account.<\/p>\n
The proposed laws do not specify which social media companies would be covered in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Last year, New Zealand banned children from using mobile phones while at school \u2014 a policy designed to turn around the country\u2019s plummeting literacy rates.<\/p>\n
Australia passed landmark laws in November restricting under-16s from social media \u2014 one of the world\u2019s toughest crackdowns on popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram and X.<\/p>\n
But video-sharing website YouTube will likely be exempt from Australia\u2019s ban so children can use it for their school work.<\/p>\n
Officials are yet to solve basic questions surrounding the laws, such as how the ban will be policed.<\/p>\n
The move sparked a fierce backlash from big tech companies who variously described the laws as \u201crushed\u201d, \u201cvague\u201d, and \u201cproblematic\u201d.<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s ban is set to come into effect by December.<\/p>\n
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