A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media. [Photo Credit: AAP Image/Dean Lewins]

An Australia-style legislative ban on social media for under-16s is being proposed by New Zealand’s governing National party.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon has announced his party will back a private member’s bill which will require social media companies verify a user’s age as above 16 before they can access certain platforms.

The bill, to be introduced by backbench MP Catherine Wedd, does not list which platforms will be included, but includes maximum fines for non-compliance at $NZ2 million ($A1.8 million).

Ms Wedd said the “bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia”.

“As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children’s online exposure,” the Hawke’s Bay-based MP said.

While Australia’s world first law passed with bipartisan support from the major parties, it is unclear whether National has the support needed to pass a similar Kiwi law.

Centre-left opposition Labour is warming to the idea but it’s not over the line, with leader Chris Hipkins saying it is a “debate we need to have”.

National’s coalition partner NZ First holds a similar view, while the third coalition partner ACT, a libertarian party, won’t offer support.

“Social media is doing enormous harm to young people (but) for every problem there is a solution that is simple, neat – and wrong,” ACT leader David Seymour said.

“ACT opposes National’s bill banning under-16s from social media because it is not workable.

“We would be better to learn from the Aussies’ mistakes than make the same mistakes at the same time as them.”

Without support from Labour, National’s bill would require either the support of the Greens, or both NZ First and the Maori Party to become law.

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