New Delhi, 24^th August,2026: New ZealandPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced a proposed law to restrictchildren under 16 from using social media. The government says the measure isintended to protect young people from harmful online content, addictivetechnology and the negative effects of excessive social media use on mentalhealth, sleep, education and family life.

Under the proposed Online Safety Bill, social mediacompanies would be required to take reasonable steps to verify users\' ages.Platforms could use existing account information, facial-age technology anddigital identification documents for verification. Companies that fail tocomply could face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global revenue.

However, the proposal faces political opposition fromcoalition partners, leaving its passage uncertain. The government saysprotecting children online remains a priority.