The Australian Senate approved the bill banning children under 16 from using social media with bipartisan support.

According to Xinhua news agency, Australia's government and opposition party say the world-first law will prohibit children and teenagers under the age of 16 from using social media starting at the end of next year in order to safeguard their mental health and wellbeing.


The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that Labor and the majority of the Coalition voted together to pass the bill by a wide margin. The majority of the cross-bench, however, voted against the bill.

According to the law, social media companies that do not take "reasonable steps" to keep children under their supervision risk fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars, or roughly $32.5 million.

Parents and children who break the rules are not punished.

Additionally, in order to determine a user's age, social media companies will not be able to require them to present official identification, such as the Digital ID.


Websites like YouTube that don't require users to log in will not be prohibited, nor will "messaging apps," "online gaming services," or "services with the primary purpose of supporting the health and education of end-users."