New Zealand is actively debating how to regulate online harms to protect young people from cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, and AI-generated deepfakes, while looking to overseas reforms for guidance.

The NZ discussion mirrors international trends, notably Australia’s move to limit under-16s’ access to social media, prompting debate about what policy fits NZ’s context.

Interim findings urge moving beyond piecemeal reforms toward a cohesive, forward-looking framework that centers youth and M
01ori voices, with the final report and government response expected to set direction.

Submissions and the interim and final reports emphasize adopting a comprehensive system, drawing on international rollouts while tailoring to NZ’s needs and under M
01ori leadership.

Reforms abroad are still evolving and untested in many cases, complicating NZ’s decision on the best path forward.

Political caution around freedom of expression has slowed reform, leading to proposals like a member’s bill and a push for safety-by-design and centralized regulation to address emerging harms such as sexualised deepfakes.

Experts stress balancing protection with sovereignty and cultural context, including M
01ori-led reporting pathways for vulnerable groups.

Ongoing governance challenges in NZ include fragmented, outdated regulation, underscoring the need to translate international lessons into NZ-specific solutions.

Historically, NZ relied on the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 with subsequent reviews that stalled, prompting a new online-harms inquiry in 2025 to modernize protections for youth.

Regulatory updates have stalled since early reforms, leaving a outdated framework and fueling the push for a refreshed, youth-centered approach.

Many submissions advocate learning from other countries while tailoring solutions to NZ, including updating the Harmful Digital Communications Act and creating M
01ori-led reporting pathways for AI harms.

A national online safety regulator is a prominent option, aiming for centralized oversight and proactive safety-by-design rules, inspired by UK Ofcom and Australia’s eSafety, though progress is slowed by concerns over free expression.