Australia’s controversial new law barring under-16s from social media is one of the toughest crackdowns yet on platforms including Facebook and TikTok as governments worldwide grasp for ways to protect children from harmful content.

The bill, which cleared the Senate on Thursday, mandates social media companies to strengthen age verification processes to prevent children under 16 from using platforms such as Facebook, Instagram,

Big tech giants such as TikTok, Meta and Snapchat have broken their silence over social media ban in Australia for kids under the age of 16.Shortly after the law which prohibits teenagers below 16 from accessing social platforms like TikTok,