New Zealand plans a bill to ban social media for under-16s, requiring "high risk" platforms to check user ages or face penalties of up to 10% of global revenue (Tracy Withers/Bloomberg)

New Zealand will introduce legislation prohibiting anyone under 16 from accessing social-media platforms, classifying them as “high-risk” services. The law obliges platforms to verify users’ ages, with non-compliant operators facing fines of up to 10% of their global revenue. This move aligns the country with other nations seeking to curb online harms to children.