Australia is banning the use of social media for children under the age of 16. The country's parliament has approved a law in this regard, which is said to be the toughest law in the world.

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The ban will take at least 12 months to take effect and failure to implement it could result in tech companies being fined up to A$50 million.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, "This law is necessary to protect the young generation from the harmful effects of social media."

Many parents have agreed on this. But critics say it's still unclear how the ban will work and what impact it will have on privacy and social connections.

This is not the first attempt to ban children from using social media. However, setting a minimum age limit of 16 years for using social media is the highest.

From that point of view, this initiative is different. This rule will also apply to those who are using social media now or maybe with parental permission.

The bill passed the Senate Thursday night by a vote of 34-19. It then passed the House of Representatives on Friday morning.

"We want our children to have a childhood and parents to know that we are on their side," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

However, which platforms will be banned is yet to be specified in the law. The communication minister of the country will take these decisions. He will consult the Australian e-Safety Commissioner before making a decision.

But Minister Michelle Rowland said the ban would include Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X. Gaming and messaging platforms will be exempted from this. Also, sites that can be accessed without an account will not be banned. For example, YouTube.

The government has said it will rely on age-verification technology to implement the ban, and that different options will be tested in the coming months. Social media platforms will be responsible for this process.

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So digital researchers say there is no guarantee that it can be implemented. These rules can easily be circumvented by using a tool like a VPN. Using a VPN does not mean that the country is logged in from, but rather that the country is logged in from another country.

In doing so, they say, personal privacy should not be violated. However, the new law does not contain any punishment for children who break the rules.

A limited survey of the country has been conducted prior to this reform. It found that most Australian parents and guardians supported the reform.

Amy Friedlander, who campaigned for the ban, told the BBC: "Parents have long been in an impossible conflict over whether to give their children an addictive device or leave them in isolation and deprivation." We are stuck in a social convention that nobody really wants.

But many experts say the ban is too harsh and not an effective solution to the risks associated with social media use. They warn it could push children 'towards a less regulated internet'.

While the bill was being consulted on before it was passed, the decision was criticized by Google and Snap for the lack of detailed legislation.

Meta said the bill would be ineffective and would not meet the goal of keeping children safe.

TikTok said the government's definition of a social media platform is so broad and vague that almost any online service could fall under it.

X has questioned the legal validity of the bill, saying it may not be compatible with international norms and human rights treaties to which Australia is a signatory.

Some among the youth complained that the government did not fully understand how social media played a role in their lives and left them out of the discussion.

E-Safety Youth Council says we know the dangers and negative effects of social media. But to find a solution to this issue we need to be included.

Australia's prime minister acknowledged the debate was complicated. But he also strongly supported the bill that passed.

According to him, we are not arguing that its implementation will be perfect. It's like banning alcohol for under 18s doesn't mean they can't drink if they want to – but we know it's the right thing to do.

Last year, France also passed a law banning the use of social media by under-15s without parental permission. However, the study found that nearly half of the country's users circumvented that ban by using a VPN.

A law similar to Australia was enacted in the US state of Utah. A federal judge later struck it down as unconstitutional. This Australian law is also being watched with interest by world leaders.

Meanwhile, Norway has recently pledged to follow Australia's lead. Last week, the UK's technology secretary said a similar ban was on their minds. But not at the moment.