New Zealand is considering banning teenagers under the age of 16 from using social media.

On May 6, according to The Guardian, members of New Zealand's ruling National Party proposed a bill to ban teenagers under the age of 16 from using social media. The "Social Media Age Appropriate User Bill" would require social media companies to verify that users are at least 16 years old before registering, or face fines of up to 2 million New Zealand dollars. Currently, New Zealand does not have laws mandating social media platforms to implement age verification measures. The bill is modeled after Australia's law passed in 2024 that prohibits teenagers under 16 from creating social media accounts. Australia passed a landmark law last November banning teenagers under 16 from using social media, making it one of the world's strictest bans on popular websites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.