WELLINGTON, August 25, 2026: New Zealand’s main opposition Labour Party has announced its support for a proposed government plan to ban social media use by children under the age of 16.

The decision removes a major political hurdle for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s government, after one of its coalition partners had previously opposed the proposed legislation.

Under the proposed law, social media platforms would be required to take reasonable steps to verify users’ ages. Possible methods include using existing account information, facial recognition technology and digital identity documents.

Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue, according to the proposal.

The government has argued that excessive social media use can expose young people to harmful content and addictive technology, with potential impacts on their mental health, sleep, education and family life.

The proposed restrictions are part of a growing international debate over how governments should protect children online while balancing privacy, parental responsibility and access to digital platforms.