New Zealand’s government introduced legislation banning children under 16 from social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon cited statistics showing one in three children aged 13 to 17 spends at least five hours daily on social media, with harmful effects on mental health, sleep, family life, and education. Firms failing to comply face fines of up to 10 percent of global revenue. New Zealand joins Australia, which enacted world-first legislation in December, along with the United Kingdom and France, in a growing number of countries introducing or proposing restrictions on children’s access to social media platforms.