The Senate of Australia passed the bill of social media ban for children under 16 with bipartisan support.
From the end of next year, children and teenagers in Australia under the age of 16 will be barred from using social media. The government and the opposition party argue that it is necessary to protect their mental health and wellbeing, the Xinhua news agency reported.
The bill passed the Australian Broadcasting Corporation comfortably as Labor and most of the Coalition voted together, while most of the crossbench voted against the bill, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Under the law, social media companies could be fined up to 50 million Australian dollars (about $32.5 million) for failing to take "reasonable steps" to keep children under 16 off their platforms.
There are no fines for the youth or the parents who break the law.
Social media companies cannot also compel users to avail of government identification, which includes the Digital ID, to determine their age.
The ban exemption will cover "messaging apps," "online gaming services" and "services with the primary purpose of supporting the health and education of end-users" and would also apply to YouTube like sites not requiring registration prior to use.
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