The government wants to ban social media for under-16s — but can't pass it without Labour's help

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford have announced a plan to ban social media for New Zealanders under 16. They spoke from Wellington on 24 August 2026. RNZ

Stanford has led the work on the proposal. It would stop people under 16 from using social media platforms. The bill was put on hold in May 2026 and has not moved since.

The problem is numbers. In New Zealand's Parliament, a government needs enough votes to pass a law. Luxon's government is made up of three parties: National, ACT, and New Zealand First. But ACT and New Zealand First both oppose this bill. That means the government does not have enough votes on its own.

To pass the bill, the government needs help from the Labour Party — the main opposition. That puts Labour in an unusual spot. A government policy's survival normally depends on the government's own parties. Here, it depends on the opposition.

The bill has had a slow path. Parliament was supposed to debate it earlier, with a report from a select committee — a small group of MPs who look at a bill closely — expected in early 2026, according to Reuters. That timeline slipped. The bill was put on hold in May 2026 and has sat there since.

The broader context here is that it is unusual for a Prime Minister to publicly announce a policy that needs opposition votes to pass. Luxon's decision to front the announcement with a senior minister suggests the government sees political value in being seen to act on social media harms to children — even though the bill's fate depends on a party he has spent the week arguing against in Parliament.

For Labour, the choice is tricky. Supporting the bill gives the government a win on a popular issue. But it also lets Labour say it is willing to work with other parties on child welfare. If Labour opposes the bill or stays quiet, the government can say Labour is siding with big tech companies over children. Labour has not yet said what it will do.

ACT's opposition fits its general dislike of more rules and regulation. New Zealand First has concerns about how the ban would be enforced and about people's freedoms. Both parties have been consistent, and the government's decision to push ahead anyway suggests it has accepted it cannot win them over.

Whether Labour decides to support the bill will decide whether it moves forward or stalls. Today's announcement is, in effect, a public test of where that support sits.