Australia’s parliament has passed a 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.

Children under the age of 16 in Australia will be banned from using social media, after the Australian government passed a new law. The law, which will take at least 12 months before it comes into effect, will see social media companies fined £25.7m ($50m Australian dollars) if they don't follow the rules.

The law sets a minimum age for users of platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X. How the restriction will be enforced online remains an open question.