NZ MPs unite over child social media safety push

New Zealand MPs from Labour and National have staged a joint push on child online safety, co-hosting an exhibition at Parliament that highlights the content children report seeing on social media and other digital platforms.

The move comes as Australia's new Online Safety Amendment Bill takes effect. The Australian law sets a mandatory minimum age of 16 for accounts on some social media platforms.

Labour MP Helen White and National MP Barbara Kuriger hosted Samsung's "Worst Children's Library" exhibit in the Parliament complex in Wellington. White is MP for Mt Albert and Labour Spokesperson for Community and Voluntary Sector and Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. Kuriger is MP for Taranaki-King Country and Deputy Speaker of the House.

The event formed part of a cross-party call for action on child safety online. MPs from Labour, National, ACT and the Greens attended the display.

The exhibition features more than 1,000 physical books. Each book represents a specific type of online harm reported by children.

The organisers say the books are based on hundreds of data sources. The titles cover topics such as toxic masculinity, hate speech, self-harm and animal cruelty.

Some of the fictional book titles are deliberately graphic. Examples include "100 Ways To Self-Harm", "Cruel Ways To Kill Animals" and "1,2,3, Count Calories With Me".

The exhibit aims to present the types of content children say they have encountered on their devices in a familiar library setting. The organisers say this contrast is intended to underline the risks to young people.

The timing of the event reflects pressure for law changes in New Zealand. A petition organised by the "B416 Group" has gathered 45,000 signatures in support of a ban on social media for under-16s that mirrors the Australian approach.

National MP Catherine Wedd introduced a member's bill earlier this year. The Social Media Bill proposes an under-16 ban for social media accounts in New Zealand.

The bill does not yet have support from all parties in Parliament. Cross-party agreement is likely to be necessary for it to progress.

White said MPs from across the political spectrum were exposed to the material depicted in the library.

"My colleagues have seen this morning the true reality of what our children are seeing online, and it has shocked them. We urgently need to help parents with how they can navigate this issue - they can't do it alone," said Helen White, MP for Mt Albert and Spokesperson for Community and Voluntary Sector, Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Labour.

White said she wanted the event to prompt discussions among MPs.

"My hope is by seeing the 'Worst Children's Library' today, all MPs regardless of their party will be willing to come together to start seriously discussing the actions we can take," said White.

Kuriger said the display challenged assumptions about the safety of online environments for children.

"It's hard to imagine what children can easily access online. Seeing it all together in a library, which is usually a safe space, is incredibly confronting and really highlights the risk of harm and the need to protect our tamariki," said Barbara Kuriger, MP for Taranaki-King Country and Deputy Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, National.

Corporate involvement

Samsung created the Worst Children's Library in partnership with Safe Surfer, a New Zealand online safety education and advocacy group. The exhibit builds on an existing commercial collaboration between the two organisations.

Samsung and Safe Surfer have previously worked together on a "kid-safe" device range. The devices use parental control tools that restrict and monitor online access for children.

Simon Smith, Samsung's Head of Corporate Marketing, said the company developed the exhibit with Safe Surfer.

"We first partnered with Safe Surfer to launch a kid-safe range of devices that offer parents the most advanced protocols in device parental controls. Together with Safe Surfer, we're proud to bring the exhibit to Parliament to help show MPs just what kids can easily see online and help stop the problem at the source," said Smith.

Safe Surfer specialises in tools and education that filter content such as pornography, graphic violence, malware and illegal sites. The organisation launched in 2016.

Rory Birkbeck, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Safe Surfer, said the nature of online material targeting young people is evolving.

"Kids are accessing porn, misogyny, hate, and many other disturbing topics at the click of a button, and it's often not intentional - many are not seeking out porn when they first see it. And now with AI "nudify" apps and deepfake technology are targeting Kiwi kids, fuelling a new wave of abuse," said Birkbeck.

He said he wanted all parties in Parliament to recognise the scale of the issue.

"The hope from today is that all politicians, no matter your political party, can now come together to recognise the reality of what our tamariki need protecting from - especially while they are so young and don't have the maturity to process and understand the context of the content they're accessing," said Birkbeck.

The Social Media Bill remains on the parliamentary agenda. The future of the proposed under-16 social media ban depends on whether MPs from multiple parties agree on a joint approach in the coming months.