bill24 August 2026 Non-partisan · AI-drafted, editor-reviewed

Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill

Member in charge: Erica Stanford
In short: Arapono’s summary

This bill aims to make online platforms safer for children. It would require certain online platforms to make sure their services are not used by children under 16. It also requires these platforms to check for and reduce risks to children's safety. This means platforms would need to put systems in place to verify users' ages and assess potential harm to young people.

What this affects

Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it, and the parts of the text that show it.

The bill creates new rules for online platforms, making it an offence if they do not prevent children under 16 from using their services.

From the bill

A person who operates an online platform commits an offence if— (a) the person allows a child under the age of 16 years to create an account on the online platform; or (b) the person allows a child under the age of 16 years to use the online platform.

An online platform must conduct a child safety risk assessment in accordance with this section.

Progress through Parliament

Introduced
First Reading
Select committee
Second Reading
Whole House
Third Reading
Royal Assent
Current stage: First Reading

Have your say

Submissions open once a bill reaches the select committee stage and the committee calls for them. In the meantime, you can write to your local MP about it.

View the official bill on legislation.govt.nz

Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.