Table of Contents
Summarised by Centrist
The Education and Workforce Committee has called on the government to move ahead with age limits for social media accounts and to establish a new national regulator focused on online safety.
The report warns that social media is causing “social, psychological, and physiological harms” to young people and urges the government to act quickly to reduce risks.
Alongside the proposed age ban, the committee recommended stricter rules for artificial intelligence tools that generate sexualised images, often referred to as “nudify apps.”
It also suggested exploring new powers to regulate how social media algorithms operate and increasing platforms’ responsibility for the content hosted on their services.
The report additionally proposes age limits on advertising for alcohol, tobacco and gambling online. It also recommends public education campaigns about online safety and a review of laws governing harmful digital content.
However, ACT MP Parmjeet Parmar issued a dissenting opinion warning that the committee had moved toward “sweeping recommendations without adequate analysis”.
Parmar raised particular concern about the practical implications of enforcing an age ban. She said it could require all users, including adults, to routinely verify their age to access online services.
The report also notes that young people might circumvent restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs), which can disguise internet traffic. The committee suggested the government explore whether regulators should address such workarounds.
Parmar warned that VPNs are widely used for legitimate cybersecurity and privacy reasons.
Despite the dissent, the report has cross-party backing from National and Labour. Education Minister Erica Stanford will now consider whether to advance legislation before the end of the parliamentary term.
Read more over at The Spinoffand The Post (paywalled)
