The ban could see technology companies such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat fined up to $32.5 million if they fail to prevent young children from holding accounts.

Australia’s parliament has passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set. The Senate approved the social media ban late on Thursday,

Since Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen aired internal emails in 2021 showing the tech giant knew of social media's mental health impacts on teenagers, world leaders have agonised over how to curb the technology's addictive pull on young minds.