Summarised by Centrist
Meta executives told MPs Instagram was not designed to be ‘intentionally addictive,’ defending the platform’s design as Parliament’s Education and Workforce select committee examined the effects of social media on young people.
Meta’s regional policy director, Mia Garlick, rejected National MP Dr Vanessa Weenink’s suggestion that features like infinite scrolling amounted to “biohacking the human dopamine axis.”
Garlick said the claim “really misrepresents our intentions,” adding that Meta wants users to have a “positive and intentional experience” and that parents can set daily time limits on teen accounts.
The company also pushed back on comparisons to Australia’s 2024 law banning social media for under-16s, calling the legislation “rushed through” without adequate consultation.
The hearing coincided with National MP Catherine Wedd’s member’s bill to ban social media for under-16s, a proposal backed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. While the bill remains in Parliament’s member’s ballot, it faces opposition from ACT, whose MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar initiated the inquiry but says an outright ban would be “a simple and wrong” solution.
An Ipsos survey released last month found nearly three-quarters of New Zealanders support banning social media for children under 14, ranking social media and technology concerns alongside poverty and inequality.
ACT instead advocates stronger laws against online harms such as AI “deepfake” pornography. ACT MP Laura McClure told MPs that deepfake abuse has caused “severe mental health” impacts among young people.
