Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Friday laid responsibility on social media platforms for the “safety of the kids,” after the government passed laws to ban children under the age of 16 from using online networking.

The world's first social media ban for children under 16 was hailed Australia's Prime Minister, but critics said it does nothing to address harmful content existing on the internet, saying children "absolutely will bypass it".

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that social media platforms now have a responsibility to ensure the safety of children, after the country's parliament passed a bill banning those under the age of 16 from using the services.

Australia just voted into law a social media ban for children under the age of 16. The legislation was approved by Australian lawmakers on Thursday with the aim of protecting the mental health of children online,

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday social media platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of children, after the country's parliament passed a bill banning those under the age of 16 from using the services.

The world-first law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

Even a 2023 recommendation by the U.S. surgeon general to put health warnings on social media, blaming it for what he called a teenage mental health crisis, could not help lawmakers from Florida to France navigate resistance on grounds of free speech,

The Australian Senate has passed a social media ban for young children that will soon become a world-first law

Australia approved on Thursday a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that has gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.