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Summarised by Centrist
Officials appear to be preparing the machinery early for restricting social media access for under-16s, while ministers still publicly frame the policy as under development.
But a now-removed Department of Internal Affairs job listing suggests officials were already preparing for implementation, not merely policy advice.
The listing sought a Programme Implementation Director to help lead “the establishment of new Government restrictions on access to social media for those under 16 years old” and to design the “Phase One operational model for this new regulatory regime”.
The posting described the programme as “high-profile” and “time-critical”. It said the successful applicant would coordinate policy, legal, technical and operational workstreams, and would lead early engagement with social media providers and other stakeholders. It also said the role would provide reporting and advice to Ministers and senior executives in an “evolving policy environment”.
The Free Speech Union says this shows the state is building enforcement architecture before Parliament has passed any law. Its argument is that once officials are designing service models, governance structures and stakeholder engagement plans, the process starts to look pre-decided.
After the listing drew attention, its wording was quickly softened. References to “the establishment of new Government restrictions on access to social media for those under 16” were removed or diluted, with the revised version instead referring more broadly to “policy and regulatory options”.
Language signalling certainty, such as what the programme “will” deliver, was replaced with more tentative phrasing like “could”.
Editor’s note: Parliament’s inquiry into online harm, released in March, explicitly recommended introducing age restrictions for social media platforms and progressing work already under way on restricting access for under-16s. That gives officials some basis for preparatory work, even if critics think they have moved too far, too fast.
