Australian Senate passes social media ban for children under 16

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.