Australia on Thursday approved a social media ban for children under 16 after an emotive debate that has gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.
The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok to prevent minors from logging in or face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million). A trial of methods to enforce it will start in January with the ban to take effect in a year.
The Social Media Minimum Age bill sets Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments which have legislated or said they plan to legislate an age restriction on social media amid concern about its mental health impact on young people.