Newly released police data confirms what B416 is hearing from the front lines of education, health and law enforcement: children in New Zealand are being harmed by social media, and no one is being held responsible.

More than 2,000 children have been recorded as victims of harmful digital communications since it was introduced in 2015, according to data released to B416 under the Official Information Act. Three out of four victims are girls.

Nearly 900 children were recorded as offenders under the Harmful Digital Communications Act (HDCA), but very few cases make it to court. The majority are handled informally, often through warnings or alternative action.

The HDCA covers serious online harm, including emotional abuse, privacy breaches and sharing intimate images without consent.

B416 spokesperson Dr Samantha Marsh, from the University of Auckland, says the figures reflect a system failing to keep pace with the scale of harm.

“This data backs up what we are hearing every week from schools, health professionals and those working in law enforcement: children are being harmed online, and the guardrails that should protect them are missing,” says Dr Marsh.

“We don’t let 12-year-olds into nightclubs. Why are we letting them into algorithm-driven digital environments that are designed to manipulate and addict?”

She says the majority of cases never make it to court not because the harm isn’t real, but because the current laws are not fit for purpose.

B416 is calling for a minimum age of 16 for access to social media, alongside stronger enforcement, platform accountability, and education.

The campaign is encouraging those on the frontlines of this issue, including parents, teachers, health professionals, and young people themselves, to share their experiences as part of the current Parliamentary inquiry into social media and youth mental health. Submissions close on 30 July.

“Online harm is often hidden and there is shame for many around this. And this inquiry is a chance for families and young people to let lawmakers know how harmful things are for young people,” Dr Marsh said.

Submit here: https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/committees-press-releases/have-your-say-on-harms-youth-encounter-online-and-what-the-government-business-and-society-should-do-to-tackle-these/

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