Story perspectives

Labour to Ban Social Media for Under-16s

By Drooid · Oct 21, 2026, 11:51 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Labour Party will ban social media for under-16s and impose a digital duty of care.
Tech spokesperson Reuben Davidson says an independent regulator will enforce the duty of care.
National has allocated $30.7 million to fund the regulator.
Platforms that allow under-16 users could face fines up to 10 % of global revenue.
National’s Online Safety Bill, introduced 24 August, also targets algorithmic feeds for under-18s.

History

Historical Context

Since the 14th-15th centuries the adjective “general” denoted the commander with overall authority, later becoming the senior peacetime rank in European armies. The European Union adopted this notion of comprehensive control in May 2018 with the General Data Protection Regulation, a continent-wide privacy law that now shapes UK Labour Party proposals on child-online safety.

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Story summary

Labour Party will ban social media for under-16s and impose a digital duty of care.
Tech spokesperson Reuben Davidson says an independent regulator will enforce the duty of care.
National has allocated $30.7 million to fund the regulator.
Platforms that allow under-16 users could face fines up to 10 % of global revenue.
National’s Online Safety Bill, introduced 24 August, also targets algorithmic feeds for under-18s.

1 / 2