Australia on Thursday passed into law a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.

The law sets a minimum age for users of platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X. How the restriction will be enforced online remains an open question.

The House has yet to endorse opposition amendments made in the Senate. But that is a formality since the government has already agreed they will pass.

Global tech giants including Meta, TikTok and Google have heavily criticized Australian legislation to ban children under 16 from accessing social media platforms, setting the stage for a policy fight as the government tries to push the bill through parliament this week.

Critics say big questions remain not only about how the new law will be enforced, but also about whether the ban will really protect young people.

The Australian government introduced what it’s called “world-leading” legislation in parliament this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16.

Australian lawmakers on Thursday approved a landmark ban on social media for children under 16, in some of the world’s toughest such controls.

Australia's Senate passed legislation Wednesday that, once signed by the country's leader who has strongly endorsed it, will ban children under the age of 16 from using most social media platforms. The new law will give Australia the tightest restrictions of any democracy in the world on children's use of hugely popular social media apps.

The Australian Senate has passed a social media ban for children under 16 years old that will soon become a world-first law.