Under the new law, social media companies will be required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent children under 16 from accessing their platforms.
Australia authorities have passed a law banning under 16 children from social media.
The bill proposing a ban on social media for children under 16 was passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
It got bipartisan support from the Senate and became a law in Australia on Thursday, marking one of the most extensive efforts globally to protect young people from online risks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the law as positioning Australia at the forefront of global efforts to safeguard the mental health and well-being of children from the harmful effects of social media, including online hate and bullying.
Under the new law, social media companies will be required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent children under 16 from accessing their platforms. Companies found to have “systemic” failures in enforcing age restrictions could face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (approximately $32 million).
However, neither underage users nor their parents will be penalised for breaching the regulations. Mr Albanese argued that whether children are able to bypass the age restrictions is not the primary concern.
This comes amid efforts by countries to protect children from social media dangers.
Before now, last year, France introduced a law mandating parental consent for social media users under the age of 15, while also advocating for similar measures across the European Union.
Similarly in the United States of America, Florida enacted a law this year prohibiting users under 14 from accessing social media, with parental consent required for 14- and 15-year-olds, although this legislation could face constitutional challenges.
