Wellington, May 6 -- A New Zealand lawmaker is pushing for legislation that would ban children under 16 from accessing social media in a move that could see the country follow Australia's lead in tightening regulations on digital platforms.
New Zealand National Party MP Catherine Wedd has introduced a member's bill that would require social media companies to verify users' ages and block minors from creating accounts.
Platforms could face financial penalties for non-compliance and would be obligated to take "all reasonable steps" to ensure users are at least 16 years old, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported on Tuesday.
"My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill is about protecting young people from bullying, inappropriate content and so...