The coroner referenced Australia's recent decision to ban children under 16 from accessing social media platforms and that the New Zealand government was discussing a similar bill. Photo: Getty ImagesA coroner is calling for restrictions on the internet after a teenager accidentally died while imitating acts he saw online. The coroner referenced Australia's recent decision to ban children under 16 from accessing social media platforms and that the New Zealand government was discussing a similar bill. Robb said the teen's death "highlights the need for internet access restrictions being imposed, where a youth might access the internet" and that parental controls on residential modems didn't go far enough. "While controls can be applied to the device, the risk remains that tech-savvy youth can work around this," he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 05, 2026 22:35 UTC