Slovakia and New Zealand Propose Social Media Bans for Minors

The Government of Slovakia and the government of New Zealand have both moved to prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media. Slovakia approved a bill on Wednesday requiring platforms to implement age-verification systems that confirm a user's age without accessing additional personal data, citing the need to protect minors from radicalization, disinformation, and addictive behavior.

In New Zealand, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon proposed an Online Safety Bill targeting platforms including TikTok, Facebook, and AI social companions. The legislation would mandate age verification through digital IDs, formal documents, or facial estimation. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue.

While the Slovakian move aligns with a broader European trend of stricter youth regulations, the New Zealand proposal faces internal political friction. Coalition partners ACT and NZ First have opposed the bill, questioning its effectiveness and citing the failure of similar measures in Australia. Legal and health experts remain divided over the proposal, weighing platform accountability against privacy risks and the likelihood that teenagers will use VPNs to bypass restrictions.