New Zealand Labour pledges under-16 social media ban within first 100 days

Party also promises new digital duty of care law and independent online regulator

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

Read Time2 min

New Zealand's opposition Labour Party has pledged to implement a social media ban for under-16s within its first 100 days in government, alongside a new 'Digital Duty of Care' law and an independent online regulator with powers to fine tech companies that breach safety rules.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins announced the policy on Monday, saying big technology companies have too much power over New Zealanders' online experience. The party proposes giving users the ability to switch between algorithm-driven feeds and posts only from accounts they follow.

"Social media is part of everyday life. It helps us stay connected, share ideas and keep in touch with the people we care about," Hipkins said. "At the same time, scams are becoming more sophisticated, fake images and videos are harder to spot, and a lot of parents are worried about what their children are seeing."

The new Digital Duty of Care law would require platforms to identify risks and protect users from harmful content and addictive designs, with stronger protections for under-18s against bullying, content promoting eating disorders or self-harm, and deepfakes. It would also target non-consensual sexual images and harmful nudify apps.

Labour science, technology and innovation spokesperson Reuben Davidson said legislation implementing the ban would be passed in the first 100 days, and strengthened at select committee with new privacy protections. The party says it will follow Australia in introducing the duty of care framework.

The current National-led government introduced a similar bill in August, but it lacked support from coalition partners New Zealand First and ACT. The bill was introduced so close to Parliament rising for the election that the government said it would not receive its first reading this term. Labour had offered to support the bill at first reading to allow it to go to select committee, but the Leader of the House confirmed there was insufficient time.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The proposal would align New Zealand with Australia, which already has a social media ban for under-16s, creating a potential precedent for other countries.
The policy could reshape how platforms operate in New Zealand, affecting millions of young users and their families.
The election outcome will determine whether the ban becomes law, making it a key campaign issue.

Background

Social media regulation for minors has become a contentious topic globally. Australia passed a similar ban for under-16s in 2024, sparking debate about efficacy, enforcement, and freedom of speech. New Zealand's earlier attempt by the National-led government stalled due to coalition disagreements and parliamentary timing, leaving the issue for the 2026 election. Labour's promise to act within 100 days would accelerate implementation if it wins government.

Key Perspectives

Labour Party: Argues parents should not have to fight big tech alone. The ban and duty of care law will shift responsibility for online safety from families to platforms. Hipkins and Davidson framed the policy as a necessary step to protect children from scams, harmful content, and addictive designs. National-led government: Introduced a similar bill but failed to get it passed due to lack of coalition support and parliamentary time. The government's approach was constrained by its partners, New Zealand First and ACT, who opposed the measure. Critics: The idea of an under-16 ban has been controversial. Some commentators have argued it is a bad idea that could affect adult users and may not effectively reduce harm. Privacy advocates may also raise concerns about enforcement mechanisms.

What to Watch

The outcome of New Zealand's 2026 election and whether Labour forms government.
How the current government's bill might be revived or replaced after the election.
New Zealand's engagement with Australia's experience, including any legal challenges or effectiveness data from across the Tasman.

Sources

Labour pledges social media ban for under-16s within 100 days · RNZ New Zealand Headlines

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

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SupportedNew Zealand Labour pledges under-16 social media ban within first 100 daysRNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Labour is pledging to implement the under-16 social media ban in its first 100 days”
SupportedParty also promises new digital duty of care law and independent online regulatorRNZ New Zealand Headlines: “There would also be a new 'Digital Duty of Care' law... a new independent online regulator”
SupportedLabour leader Chris Hipkins announced the policy on MondayRNZ New Zealand Headlines: “19 October 2026, 10:39am”
SupportedChris Hipkins said: "Social media is part of everyday life. It helps us stay connected, share ideas and keep in touch with the people we care about."RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"Social media is part of everyday life. It helps us stay connected, share ideas and keep in touch with the people we care about."”
SupportedChris Hipkins said: "At the same time, scams are becoming more sophisticated, fake images and videos are harder to spot, and a lot of parents are worried about what their children are seeing."RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"At the same time, scams are becoming more sophisticated, fake images and videos are harder to spot, and a lot of parents are worried about what their children are seeing," he said.”
SupportedThe new Digital Duty of Care law would require platforms to identify risks and protect users from harmful content and addictive designs, with stronger protections for under-18s against bullying, content promoting eating disorders or self-harm, and deepfakes.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “require platforms to "identify risks and protect Kiwis from harmful content and addictive designs"... stronger protections for under-18s against harmful content, bullying and design features... content promoting eating disorders or self-harm, and deepfakes”
SupportedIt would also target non-consensual sexual images and harmful nudify apps.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “stronger protections against deepfake abuse, including non-consensual sexual images, and powers to take down harmful nudify apps and sites”
SupportedLabour science, technology and innovation spokesperson Reuben Davidson said legislation implementing the ban would be passed in the first 100 days, and strengthened at select committee with new privacy protections.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “legislation implementing the social media ban would be passed in the first 100 days, "and we'll make it stronger at select committee with new privacy protections too".”
SupportedThe party says it will follow Australia in introducing the duty of care framework.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “"We'll join Australia in introducing a new 'Digital Duty of Care' law," he said.”
SupportedThe current National-led government introduced a similar bill in August, but it lacked support from coalition partners New Zealand First and ACT.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “The government introduced a bill to ban social media for under-16s in August but it did not have support from National's coalition partners New Zealand First or Act.”
SupportedThe bill was introduced so close to Parliament rising for the election that the government said it would not receive its first reading this term.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “It was introduced so close to Parliament rising for the election that National's Christopher Luxon and Erica Stanford said it would not get its first reading this term.”
SupportedLabour had offered to support the bill at first reading to allow it to go to select committee, but the Leader of the House confirmed there was insufficient time.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Labour said it would support the bill at first reading to allow it to go to select committee but the Leader of the House Louise Upston made clear it would not go before the House as there wasn't enough time.”