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NZ Herald
05-06-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
What ‘conflicting' polls tell us; Brooke van Velden strikes again; sex scandal at the heart of the Beehive
This is a transcript of the Premium Politics newsletter. To sign up, click here, select 'Inside Politics with Audrey Young' and save your preferences. Welcome to Inside Politics. It is unfortunate when polls appear to show conflicting results, as the 1News Verian poll
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Children under 16 will be BANNED from social media to protect them from 'harmful content' under plans put forward in New Zealand
New Zealand could ban children under 16 from accessing social media to protect them from 'harmful content, cyberbullying and exploitation', the Prime Minister has said. Christopher Luxon has unveiled proposals that would force social media companies to verify users were at least 16 years old or risk fines of up to NZ$2 million - equivalent to around £900,000. The draft laws, drawn up by National Party MP Catherine Wedd, were modelled on strict legislation recently passed by Australia. Luxon said today: 'It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that, for all the good things that come from social media, it's not always a safe place for our young people to be. 'It's time we put the onus on these platforms to protect vulnerable children from harmful content, cyberbullying, and exploitation. 'Parents are constantly telling us that they are really worried about the impact that social media is having on their children. 'And they say they are really struggling to manage access to social media.' Wedd added: 'As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure.' The proposals follow the nation's decision to ban children from using mobile phones while at school - a policy designed to turn around the country's plummeting literacy rates. The move appears fairly popular domestically, with a 1News Verian poll in December finding that more than two-thirds of New Zealanders supported restricting social media access for under-16s. To become law, the bill will either need the support of the National Party's two other coalition partners, ACT and New Zealand First, or opposition parties. But ACT leader David Seymour said a 'hastily drafted' plan was not the solution to problems caused by social media. Officials are yet to solve basic questions surrounding the laws, such as how the ban will be policed. 'I'm really worried about social media's effect, but for every problem there's a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong,' he said. 'Just slapping on a ban hastily drafted won't solve the real problem. The real problem has to involve parents, the solution proposed by National doesn't. 'What I'd like to see is the people worried about this, the educational psychologists, the social media companies themselves, everybody come before a select committee, really thrash it out, and get a solution that is technologically feasible.' Meanwhile, Labour's Chris Hipkins, the leader of the opposition, told Radio New Zealand he was open to the idea. The move appears fairly popular domestically, with a 1News Verian poll in December finding that more than two-thirds of New Zealanders supported restricting social media access for under-16s 'This is a conversation we need to have as a country. The Australians have been courageous and tackled it. I think New Zealand needs to do the same.' The Prime Minister said he was encouraged by the positive comments made by Hipkins and suggested he may be able to garner enough support across the House to pass it. 'It's not a political issue, it's a New Zealand issue,' Luxon claimed. Australia The ban is set to come into effect by December.
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
New Zealand's prime minister proposes social media ban for under-16s
New Zealand's prime minister has proposed banning children under 16 years old from using social media, in an effort to protect young people from harms such as exposure to violent content and cyberbullying. Christopher Luxonsaid on Tuesday the draft law would force social media companies to verify users were at least 16 before allowing them to create an account, or face fines of up to NZ$2m ($1.2m). While good things could come from social media, it was not always a safe place for young people and the onus was on tech companies to be socially responsible, Luxon said. 'This is about protecting our children. It's about making sure social media companies are playing their role in keeping our kids safe,' Luxon said. Teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyberbullying, exposure to violent and inappropriate content, exploitation and social media addiction. 'Parents are constantly telling us that they are really worried about the impact that social media is having on their children,' Luxon said. 'And they say they are really struggling to manage access to social media.' The author of the bill, National MP Catherine Wedd, said there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand and her bill would better support families to have oversight of their children's online use. The proposed ban is closely modelled on that of Australia, which sits at the forefront of global efforts to regulate social media. Australia passed landmark laws in November banning under-16s from social media – one of the world's toughest crackdowns on popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram and X. The move sparked a fierce backlash from big tech companies who variously described the laws as 'rushed', 'vague' and 'problematic'. In December, a 1News Verian poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealanders supported restricting social media access for under-16s. The New Zealand bill was drafted by Luxon's centre-right National party, the biggest member of the three-way governing coalition and would need the support of Luxon's two coalition partners to pass. It is not yet clear when the bill will be introduced to parliament, but Luxon hoped the it would generate bipartisan support. 'It's not a political issue, it's a New Zealand issue,' he said. Opposition Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Radio New Zealand he was open to the idea. 'This is a conversation we need to have as a country. The Australians have been courageous and tackled it. I think New Zealand needs to do the same.'
