What's happening with the plan to ban under-16s from social media?

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says his party will decide whether it supports the government's plan to ban under-16s from social media before the November election — but not just yet. Hipkins told media he was 'certainly open to' settling the party's stance before the election 'if a way could be found' to do so, according to the New Zealand Herald.

The proposed law was announced at Parliament on Monday by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and senior minister Erica Stanford. It would stop anyone under 16 from legally using social media platforms. Companies would have to take 'reasonable' steps to check users' ages, according to Stuff.

National has put the bill forward without the support of its coalition partners. Both ACT and New Zealand First said on Monday they would not vote for it. NZ First leader Winston Peters wrote on his Facebook page that 'the Government is not moving to ban under-16s from social media' and that his party would not support the bill going any further. Luxon confirmed the bill is unlikely to be debated in Parliament until after the November election.

Before a new law can be properly debated, MPs hold what is called a 'first reading' — a first vote on whether a bill should even be looked at in detail. That step will not happen until after the election.

Labour's technology and media spokesperson Reuben Davidson said the party had raised more than 70 questions about the plan. National responded on Monday night with more than 100 pages of information. Davidson confirmed he received the material, according to RNZ. He said the ban bill was 'not strong enough to provide the protections young New Zealanders need' and that while a ban could be part of the answer, it was 'not a silver bullet.'

Davidson said he wanted the law to include 'safety by design' — meaning social media companies would have to build safety features into their products from the start, rather than adding them later. He also wants rules around algorithms, which are the automated systems that decide what posts and videos people see on platforms like Facebook and TikTok. This fits with earlier Labour policy. In March, the party called for rules to control deepfake technology and ban 'nudify' apps, pointing to risks to young people's privacy and safety.

The idea for the ban came from across the Tasman. Australia's parliament passed laws in 2025 banning under-16s from social media sites from the end of that year, covering platforms including Facebook and TikTok. Luxon said at the time that a similar ban would be looked into here.

The bigger picture is that the coalition parties do not agree on this issue. National has introduced a bill it knows its partners will not back, which means each party will campaign on its own approach to online safety ahead of November. For National, the bill is more about sending a message than passing a law, since it will not be debated until after the election.

Labour's delay in taking a position gives the party time to go through the 100-plus pages National provided. Davidson's focus on safety-by-design and algorithm rules suggests Labour is working on its own approach — one that combines holding platforms accountable with targeted limits, rather than a blanket ban. The party's earlier comments on deepfakes and 'nudify' apps point to a wider interest in online harms beyond just age restrictions.

In short, the bill is in Parliament but will not be debated until after the election. The coalition parties are split. Labour is still making up its mind. The November election will decide whether the under-16s ban becomes law, and what shape it takes.