Following the approval of the world’s strongest rules by its parliament, Australia will prohibit children under the age of sixteen from using social media.
If IT companies don’t comply with the restriction, which won’t go into effect for at least a year, they could be fined up to A$50 million ($32.5 million; £25.7 million).
Many parent groups have supported Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s assertion that regulation is necessary to shield youth from the “harms” of social media.
However, detractors claim that the ban’s implementation and its effects on social interaction and privacy have not been fully addressed.
The minimum age of 16 is the maximum age that any nation has imposed, although this is not the first attempt to limit children’s usage of social media worldwide.
