Australia's government has proposed a social media ban for children under the age of 16 which experts have described as a "momentous step," as parents globally call for greater regulation of tech companies.

The Australian government's plan to ban children from social media to protect them from harm has won almost universal political support.

One of the biggest outstanding questions is how social media companies will check who is over 16 years old. The Australian government announced on Friday it had awarded a contract to a UK-based organisation to trial different age-verification technologies that could be used to enforce a social-media ban.

Attempts to prevent Australian children from accessing social media are likely to fail, and could do more harm than good

Australia’s proposed social media ban for kids under 16 could reshape digital parenting worldwide. Learn how this new law prioritizes mental health, safety, and responsible online use, and why U.S. parents are taking notice.

The Technology Secretary is setting out Ofcom’s social media priorities as powers from the Online Safety Act come into force.

While the planned social media ban has broad support, more than 140 technology and child welfare experts signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling it “too blunt an instrument” to be effective.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton claims the Albanese Labor government has been too slow in enforcing a social media ban for children under the age of 16.