David Seymour: ACT Party leader raises questions over National's proposed social media ban

David Seymour's denying the Coalition's back in choppy waters over National's proposed social media ban. 

Education Minister Erica Stanford is looking into ways to restrict access for under-16s.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon claimed Seymour's on the same page, despite the ACT leader calling it unworkable. 

Seymour says he still has questions about how it's possible. 

He says within days of the Bill coming out, Luxon admitted more work was needed - which proves his point. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Act in National squabbling in public again. This time they're
fighting over the planned ban on social media for under sixteens.
What's happened is actors rejected the NATS member's bill, calling
it unworkable. But this morning Chris Luxon said, David Seymour
was coming around to the idea. I've sort of started
to shift their position a little bit on the weekend,
which is good. So let's just see where we get
to with them. There might still be a pathway through
all of that. And then David Seymour said, no, they're

(00:21):
not shifting their position, and he's with me.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Hello David, Hey, Heather, Okay, run me through it. What's
your argument?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, first of all, I think it's a little unfair
to say we're squabbling. We have two parties that have
different positions, and I actually think that's healthy. I think
it shows a political system is maturing. So far as
the substance of the policy. I just make the point
that you can believe that there's a very real problem
and that the Internet is a place that is having

(00:53):
very bad effects on young people in New Zealand, and
yet be skeptical that something as simple as the band
that was proposed just last week is actually going to work.
And I think in a way the fact that the
bill came out last Wednesday and by Sunday Christmas saying well, actually,

(01:14):
we need to do more work kind of proves the
point I'd been making. And for my money, I think
one of the most helpful things that could happen is
that the Education and Workforce Select Committee could open up
a full, open, transparent inquiry. Get all the technologists, the principles,
the parents, the young people themselves, the technologists, the child psychiatrists,

(01:40):
actually the people in other countries that are trying to
do this, and by the end of it, you might
actually find that you look at the whole thing quite
differently and have a much better solution with a lot
more political consensus. That would be the way to take
the problem. Seriously. If it is.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Possible to technologically ban kids from social media, do you
support it?

Speaker 2 (02:01):
If it's technologically possible to withdraw kids from the harms,
I'd certainly support that. But I think what we're going
to be clear about there's basically three types of harms.
There's inappropriate content, there's inappropriate contact, bullying, predatory behavior, and
so on, and then there's the nature of some platforms

(02:22):
that are purposely made to be addictive, because just like
any other media or a radio show, for example, they're
competing for eyeballs and ears, and as a result, they
make it very addictive. Well, what you're really asking, and
I don't want to sound like I'm avoiding the question,
but the question is can you ban them from certain platforms?
The question is can you create a solution that prevents

(02:46):
the various harms coming to young things.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
That's not what I'm asking I'm quite deliberately asking you
this question. If it was possible to ban under sixteens,
like if it was technologically possible to ban them, would
you support that?

Speaker 2 (03:00):
But I'm sorry, I'm not trying to avoid the question.
I just believe that you've got to ask yourself, what
are you banning them from? From the entire internet? Certain
specific platforms. Okay, so from specific platforms. Then this is
why the question I want answer to is what happens next?

(03:20):
Is this going to drive young people into the dark
web where they're going to do stuff that's actually even worse?
Can you imagine and no longer be prepared to talk
to their parents about it because they've been told that
what they're doing is illegal. So I just asked the question,
what practically works and what are the outcomes. I think
that's the kind of quality discussion we need if you,
if indeed you believe it's an important issue, which I do.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Okay, David listen, Thank you very much, appreciate your time.
That's David Seymore, the act Party leader also Associate Education Minister.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
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