Online Safety Bill w/ Children's Commissioner Jane Searle: 27th August, 2026

The government introduced the Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill to parliament on Monday, which requires platforms like Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook to take reasonable steps to check that New Zealand social media users are over 16. While the government has said there is not enough time for the Online Safety Bill to receive a first reading before the election, it has sparked debate about how to promote young people’s wellbeing online. Digital services excluded from the age restriction proposed by the Bill include messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Discord, and AI chatbots like ChatGPT. This morning Producer Eloise spoke with Jane Searle, Mana Mokopuna Children’s Commissioner, about what the Bill could look like in practice and its potential impact for rangatahi.