Australia’s parliament on Thursday passed a law banning social media for children under 16.
The ban came following the passage of a groundbreaking law in parliament which is the first of its kind in the world-first.
The new law by the Senate with 34 votes to 19 prohibits platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Reddit from allowing users under 16.
YouTube has been excluded from the ban due to its educational content.
The law now put tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set and any company found in violation could face fines of up to AU$50 million (US$32 million).
The new law was in response to what the Labor Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described as a “clear, causal link between the rise of social media and the harm [to] the mental health of young Australians.
“We want our kids to have a childhood and parents to know we have their backs,” Albanese told reporters afterwards.
While the law has been hailed by some as a step to protect children, it has drawn criticism from academics, advocacy groups, and tech experts.
The bill received over 15,000 public submissions in a single day, many opposing the measure, after tech billionaire Elon Musk drew attention to the proposal on X.
The law will take effect in 12 months, allowing time for the government to trial age-verification technologies.
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