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Australian Senate passes social media ban for children under 16

Australian Senate passes social media ban for children under 16

The law will the world’s first and will make platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, liable for big fines.

By contributor By Associated Press Reporters

Children under the age of 16 will be banned from holding accounts under the world-first law (Yui Mok/PA)

The Australian Senate passed a social media ban for young children on Thursday that will soon become a world-first law.

The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (£25 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

The Senate passed the bill 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the legislation 102 votes to 13 on Wednesday.

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.

The platforms will have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.