Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the proposed law was necessary to protect young people from harmful content, addictive technology and online pressures. He added that one in three children aged 13 to 17 spends at least five hours a day on social media, which affects family life, mental health, sleep and education.

The Bill would require platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook, to take “reasonable steps” to verify that users are aged 16 or over. Possible methods include using existing account information, facial age estimation, digital identity services and formal identification.

Social media companies could face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global revenue if they fail to comply. They would also be required to assess risks and report on measures taken to mitigate them.

The proposal faces opposition from coalition partners ACT and NZ First, while the Labour Party has raised questions about enforcement and which platforms would be covered.

Australia introduced a similar ban in December, but a peer-reviewed study published in June found little evidence that teenagers had reduced their social media use as a result.