By Lillian Hanly of RNZ, the latest RNZ Reid Research poll shows that more than half of New Zealanders support a social media ban for children under 16. Despite political parties not being able to agree on this issue, the survey reveals that 57.8% of respondents support the ban, while 31.6% do not. This comes as the government explores options to restrict social media for young people, following the dismissal of a National Party member’s bill by the ACT party. The proposed law would require age verification measures on social media platforms, but ACT proposed a select committee inquiry instead. Minister of Education Erica Stanford is tasked with exploring options for legislation and implementation. Various party supporters have differing views on the ban, with National voters showing the highest support at 75.1%, followed by NZ First voters at 69.6%. Despite mixed opinions, politicians agree that action needs to be taken to protect young people online.
“Something is always better than nothing.”
Fiona Cleve expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of a ban on social media, stating that it would be impractical to enforce and unlikely to address the underlying issues.
“The approach being taken is not constructive and will not lead to a solution,” Cleve remarked. “Instead, it will only result in unnecessary bureaucracy with no real benefits.”
She also raised concerns about the difficulty of verifying users’ ages, especially since many social media companies are based overseas.
Two young individuals, George and Harlan, who are both under 16, acknowledged that banning certain platforms like TikTok may be necessary due to their harmful effects. However, they also emphasized the importance of regulation in addressing these issues.
This survey, conducted by Reid Research, involved 1008 participants and utilized quota sampling and weighting to ensure a diverse representation across age, gender, and geography. The online interviews took place between March 23-30, 2025, with a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. For more details, the full report can be accessed here.
