New Zealand is participating in the worldwide effort to keep children under 16 away from social media.

      New Zealand plans to introduce a bill on Monday that mandates social media platforms to verify that users are at least 16 years old. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon indicated that failure to comply could result in penalties amounting to 10% of a platform’s global earnings. However, the bill is far from becoming law, as it will not advance before the general election on November 7, and two of the three parties in Luxon's coalition have expressed opposition.

      The internal dissent within the government is particularly noteworthy. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters argues that no verification method can achieve the bill's objectives without prohibiting VPNs or mandating digital ID for enforcement.

      In response, Luxon emphasizes the importance of scale, suggesting that a CEO managing operations in 42 countries with similar regulations will be more attentive than one focused on a smaller nation.

      The initial country to implement such a measure offers limited evidence of success. Australia's ban resulted in only a slight decrease in underage users during its first three months, and TNW's own testing revealed issues with the initial verification process.

      Meanwhile, Europe is further along than the headlines indicate. France prohibited access to social media for individuals under 15 in July, with the rule coming into effect on September 1 and a grace period until January 1 for existing accounts. However, French lawmakers eventually removed the element that would have ensured its effectiveness. The requirement for platforms to provide age verification systems to the regulator Arcom was eliminated prior to the bill's passage, contrary to Norway’s approach, which shifts liability to the platforms.

      Currently, enforcement relies on the Digital Services Act, a regulatory framework created from tools not specifically designed for this purpose. The European Parliament has made some progress, voting 483 to 92 in November for a standardized digital minimum age of 16, with access permitted from age 13 with parental consent, though this resolution is not legally binding.

      There is not universal agreement on this issue. Estonia stands out as one of the few EU countries opposing restrictions on children's access to social media.

      Overall, a pattern emerges across four continents: bans are being enacted, but the mechanisms for age verification are consistently weakened, and a partner in the New Zealand government has articulated what many others are hesitant to confront.