“A Fool’s Errand”: Meta Boss Hits Auckland to Warn Against Under-16 Social Media Ban
By Lions Roar Aotearoa Technology & Safety Bureau
AUCKLAND — Wednesday, February 4, 2026 — As New Zealand weighs up following Australia’s lead in banning children under 16 from social media, tech giant Meta has touched down in Auckland to push back, labeling such bans a “fool’s errand” that could actually make teenagers less safe.
Antigone Davis, Meta’s Global Head of Safety, told Lions Roar Aotearoa that while the intent behind bans is understandable, the reality is that tech-savvy teens are already finding ways around the restrictions in Australia, often landing in “darker” corners of the web.
1. The Aussie Lesson: Bans Drive Kids Underground
Australia’s landmark under-16 social media ban has been in effect for a month, and Davis claims the early data is concerning. Rather than staying offline, teenagers are reportedly migrating away from regulated platforms like Instagram and TikTok toward unmonitored, less safe apps.
“The challenge is that you can’t ban the entire internet,” Davis said during an Instagram safety camp in Auckland. “Teens did what you would have expected—they started downloading a whole slew of apps that people didn’t know about. You drive them to less safe experiences.”
2. Meta’s Alternative: “Teen Accounts”
Instead of an outright ban, Meta is promoting its new “Teen Accounts” framework as the “silver bullet” for parental anxiety. Under this system:
- Parental Permission: Users under 16 cannot join the platform or change safety settings without an explicit “green light” from a parent.
- Built-in Safeguards: Accounts are automatically set to private, with strict “sensitive content” filters and “sleep mode” to limit late-night scrolling.
- Shared Responsibility: Davis argues that while platforms must “design safety in from the start,” parents must also be part of the gatekeeping process.
3. “Silver Bullets Don’t Work” – Experts Weigh In
The debate has split online safety advocates in Aotearoa.
- NetSafe: CEO Brent Carey agreed that a single legislative ban isn’t enough. “We love the idea of a silver bullet, but they don’t work. We need layers of protection, not just a ban.”
- Gen-Z Aotearoa: Co-director Lola Fisher warned that social media is now a fundamental part of youth life. “Young people are finding ways around the ban. What we need is regulation and supportive environments, not just an ‘off’ switch.”
- Makes Sense (Advocacy Group): Remains unconvinced, stating that trust in Big Tech has been “fundamentally eroded” after years of exposure to harm. They argue that Meta’s safety pushes are “too little, too late.”
4. Government on the Fence
The New Zealand Government is currently monitoring the Australian experiment closely. While some ministers have expressed interest in a ban to combat the youth mental health crisis, others are wary of the technical difficulties and the potential for “digital displacement.”
Davis’s visit to Auckland is seen as a strategic “charm offensive” to convince Kiwi lawmakers that regulation of features is better than total restriction of access.
