Summarised by Centrist

National minister Erica Stanford is courting Labour to pass a potentially far-reaching technology law banning under-16s from social media, despite opposition from ACT and NZ First, potentially bypassing her own coalition partners.

“What he will do at Cabinet, I don’t know yet,” she said of NZ First leader Winston Peters, who reiterated his party’s opposition to the policy over the weekend.

Rather than accept that resistance, Stanford has held repeated discussions with Labour MPs and officials about securing their votes.

“I’m willing to deal with any party who is going to put our kids ahead of party politics, and I’ll talk to anyone who wants to talk to me about that, including Labour,” she said.

“I have met with Labour MPs on a number of occasions alongside my officials.”

The strategy would allow a National minister to progress legislation rejected by National’s governing partners by relying instead on the principal opposition party.

Stanford justified the move by presenting the issue as a moral contest between children and powerful technology companies.

This is why banning smartphones for U16's if by far the easiest solution. Yep, there will be hero parents who won't comply – but many will and it will significantly reduce the time spent by their kids on social media without banning them from using it – while not introducing… https://t.co/3SKClptVTS
— Ro Edge (@rosey_nz) July 21, 2026

“Tech interests are insidious and they’re everywhere,” she said.

“They have got bottomless pits of money and I’m here standing up for our kids.”

She added: “If ever there was an issue to set aside politics, it’s this one.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins confirmed his MPs were talking to Stanford but said Labour could not decide until it knew “exactly what it is that they’re going to propose”.

Editor’s note: That framing allows Stanford to portray opponents as putting politics ahead of children, while avoiding the central questions surrounding her proposal.

She has not publicly explained how platforms would distinguish under-16s from adults, what information users would need to provide, who would operate the verification system or what privacy protections would apply.

Yet Stanford is asking parties to support the principle before the public has seen the enforcement mechanism.

Centrist has previously reported here, here, and here that parental-control tools already exist, while an under-16 social media ban could become digital ID by stealth as the government builds digital licences and a wider verification system despite little evidence of public demand.

Read more over at The NZ Herald

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