New Zealand’s government is preparing to introduce a bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using major social media platforms, following a similar move by Australia.

The proposed Online Safety Bill would require platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook to verify users’ ages. Companies could use technologies including facial age estimation and digital identification to ensure that users are at least 16 years old. Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government could no longer ignore the potential harm social media was causing young people, particularly to their mental health, sleep and education.

However, the proposal is already facing opposition from within the government’s coalition. Coalition partners NZ First and ACT have questioned whether such a ban would be effective.

The debate follows Australia’s introduction of a similar restriction on under-16s. However, a study published in June found little evidence that the Australian ban had significantly reduced teenagers’ use of social media.