The official paper trail
Documents & where the law is at
legislation.govt.nzOnline Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill — full textThe Government’s bill as introduced on 24 August 2026, in full — or put your question to it on our Ask page.
NZ ParliamentTrack the bill’s progressParliament’s page for the bill — readings, select committee and submissions will appear here.
BeehiveThe Government’s announcementWhat the bill covers, the penalties and the exclusions — in the Government’s own words.
RNZIntroduction day, unpackedACT and NZ First invoke agree-to-disagree, Labour’s 79 questions, and why there’s no first reading before the election.
legislation.govt.nzSocial Media (Age-Restricted Users) BillThe 2025 member’s bill — superseded, but still the only ban text published in full.
LawNewsThe select committee’s report, summarisedParliament’s online-harm inquiry: an under-16 restriction, a new regulator, platform duties.
RNZWhy the member’s bill was shelvedMay 2026: the backstory — the original bill paused while the Government drafted its broader replacement.
RNZThe fight over seeing the billJuly 2026: Labour has been shown the draft but refused a copy for its caucus; Stanford cites “legal reasons” and offers briefings instead.
NZ Herald (premium)The regulator hired before the billThe Government advertised for a director to implement the scheme before Parliament had seen any bill — the ad was pulled and re-worded after criticism.
NZ ParliamentThe 2026 election timelineThe House rises 24 September; Parliament dissolves 1 October — the bill’s real deadline.
NZ ParliamentHave your sayWhen a bill reaches select committee, public submissions open here — that’s the formal way in.
Help for families
Free NZ services
NetsafeNZ’s online safety organisationFree advice and help with online harm, scams, bullying — for parents and young people.
Keep It Real OnlineGovernment guidance for parentsPractical help with the hard conversations: porn, bullying, grooming, screen time.
1737Need to talk? Call or text 1737Free, 24/7 support from trained counsellors — for anyone, any age.
u16.nzOur parents’ guideStep-by-step age controls for every phone, console, the Wi-Fi and the big apps.
Overseas, from the source
Official pages abroad
Australia · eSafetyHow Australia’s ban worksThe regulator’s own explanation of the world-first under-16 rules.
Australia · eSafetyWhich platforms are coveredThe current list — and which services are explicitly out.
UK · gov.ukThe UK’s planned rulesFact sheet on Britain’s announced under-16 ban, including its position on VPNs.
CanadaThe Safe Social Media ActCanada’s June 2026 bill combining an under-16 ban with platform safety duties.
European UnionThe EU’s age-verification appBrussels’ privacy-preserving approach — prove your age without revealing who you are.
Molly Rose FoundationIs Australia’s ban working? (PDF)The April 2026 survey: 61% of under-16s with accounts still had access.
BMJ study (via Deseret)85% still on social mediaThe University of Newcastle’s June 2026 study: 12–13-year-olds’ use unchanged; 14–15s down only from 78% to 69%.
NBC NewsThe 50-account testJuly 2026: auditors opened accounts on nine regulated platforms claiming to be 16 — and were never once asked to prove it.
Both sides, in their own words
Perspectives
The case for a ban
Family FirstWhy supporters welcome the billThe family-advocacy case for a legal age line.
NZ Herald (premium)Inside B416’s campaignThe parent-led lobby that pushed the ban up the agenda.
EuronewsAustralia’s answer to critics“That is on Big Tech” — Canberra doubles down on platform accountability.
The case against
Privacy CommissionerThe everyone-gets-checked problemWhy age verification for under-16s means age checks for all users.
Free Speech UnionThe free-expression objection“Censorship by compliance” — the civil-liberties case against the bill.
FSU / CuriaThe digital-ID worry, polledNovember 2025: 66% back a ban with age verification — but nearly half worry it becomes a de facto digital ID for adults.
Ipsos (UK)Support softens when ID is spelled outJune 2026: UK support for a ban fell from 69% to 50% once respondents were told everyone would upload ID.
NZ Council for Civil LibertiesThe rights-based caseWhy the Council calls the bill unworkable and disproportionate.
NZ InitiativeThe economist’s trilemmaKids evade it, adults get burdened, or privacy is lost — pick at least one.
The ConversationTen objections, footnotedA media researcher’s case that the ban misfires — and hits adults too.
Netsafe (via RNZ)The online-safety agency’s doubts“A ban would just push any problems underground.”
Good explainers
If you read four things
The SpinoffThe world’s bans and NZ’s plansThe best single overview of where every country is at.
RNZIs Australia’s ban actually working?Six months in: what the studies show, and how Canberra defends the law.
RNZWhat New Zealanders thinkThe RNZ–Reid Research poll: 57.8% support, with the party-by-party breakdown.
1NewsThe VPN episodeJuly 2026: a reported VPN crackdown, denied within a day.
Spot a broken link or a document we’re missing? The site is updated as the debate moves — this page was last checked 24 August 2026.