New Zealand: Social Media Age-Restricted Users Bill was introduced to Parliament

On 22 October 2025, the Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill was introduced to the Parliament of New Zealand. It seeks to reduce the risk of harm to children arising from certain social media platforms by requiring providers to prevent persons under the age of 16 from holding accounts on designated platforms. The Bill defines an “age-restricted social media platform” as a platform designated by regulations and sets out the criteria for what constitutes a social media platform, focusing on services whose primary purpose is to enable online social interaction between users. Certain platforms may be exempt, including those not accessible in New Zealand or specified in regulations. Under Part 2, providers of designated platforms must take all reasonable steps to prevent users under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts. In determining what constitutes reasonable steps, providers must consider relevant factors, including user privacy and the reliability of age assurance methods. The Bill establishes a civil enforcement regime. On application by the chief executive, a court may impose a pecuniary penalty of up to NZD 2 million for failure to comply. In setting the penalty, the court must consider factors such as the extent of harm, whether the conduct was intentional or reckless, any mitigation measures taken, and prior similar conduct. A defence is available where the provider reasonably relied on information supplied by the underage user.