New Zealand Prime Minister proposed on Tuesday to prohibit access to social networks for those under 16, a few months after the adoption in Australia of similar restrictions, among the strictest in the world.
The bill presented by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who must be presented to his partners in the ruling coalition, would force platforms to take measures to prevent children under 16 from accessing it.
The text provides fines to around one million euros for companies in case of non -compliance with this obligation. At this stage, it does not specify what the platforms in question would be. It is inspired by the legislation adopted by the Parliament of Australia in November, a country at the forefront of the regulation of social networks to protect children.
Wear the responsibility of protecting children on platforms
This Australian law, which must be applied by the end of the year, has been convicted of social networks giants. They pointed out the risk that they could send children and young people to dangerous alternative platforms.
“It’s time for New Zealand to recognize that, despite all the good things that social networks bring, it is not always a safe place for our young people,” Luxon said in front of the press.
Mr. Luxon did not indicate when this bill would be presented to the New Zealand Parliament. “It is about protecting our children. It is about ensuring that social networks play their role by guaranteeing the safety of our children,” he justified.
The text was written by its political training, the New Zealand National Party (center to the right). To be adopted, you will have to benefit from the support of the other two parties of the government’s coalition in power. “As a mother of four children, I am convinced that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to monitoring the online exposure of their children,” said Deputy Catherine Wedd, who wrote the bill.
The use of social networks by young and adolescents has aroused concerns in recent years, particularly with respect to the time dedicated to screens and lack of moderation on certain platforms.
The entry into force by December of the Australian law that prohibits access to social networks to children under 16 will follow Close abroad, several countries plan to implement similar restrictions, such as New Zealand and Spain.
China has restricted access to minors since 2021 and requires identification through an identity document. Children under 14 cannot spend more than 40 minutes a day in Douyin, the Chinese version of Tiktok, and online game time for children and adolescents is also strictly limited.
Source: BFM TV
