Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children under 16 years of age, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook on Wednesday (10 December).
Ten of the biggest platforms were ordered to block children from midnight or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million) under the new law, which drew criticism from major technology companies and free speech advocates.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it "a proud day" for families and cast the law as proof that policymakers can curb online harms that have outpaced traditional safeguards.
"This will make an enormous difference. It is one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced," Albanese told a news conference on Wednesday.
In a video message, Albanese urged children to "start a new sport, new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there for some time on your shelf."
In the hours before the ban took effect, many of the estimated one million children impacted by the legislation began posting messages saying goodbye to their online followers.
Albanese's centre-left government proposed the landmark law citing research showing harms to mental health from the overuse of social media among young teens.
Several countries from Denmark to New Zealand to Malaysia have signalled they may study or emulate Australia's model, making the country a test case for how far governments can push age-gating without stifling speech or innovation.
Elon Musk's X became the last of the 10 major platforms to take measures to cut off access to underage teens after publicly acknowledging on Wednesday that it would comply.
"It's not our choice - it's what the Australian law requires," X said on its website.
Australia has said the initial list of covered platforms would change as new products emerge and young users migrate.
Companies have told Canberra they will deploy a mix of age inference - estimating a user's age from their behaviour - and age estimation based on a selfie.
For social media businesses, the implementation marks a new era of structural stagnation as user numbers flatline and time spent on platforms shrinks, studies show.
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The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
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The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has rejected claims that Moroccan authorities orchestrated July’s deadly mass border crossing into Ceuta, saying Spain has found no evidence that Rabat planned or carried out the incident.
Denmark’s Security and Intelligence Service, PET, has warned that Russia is actively preparing sabotage operations against targets in the country, with defence companies supporting Ukraine seen as a particular focus.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to raise bilateral trade to $200 million within two years, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded a three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan.
The latest escalation between the United States and Iran is being fought not only on the ground and at sea, but increasingly in the skies above the Gulf where a missile launch or intercepted drone can force an aircraft thousands of metres above the region to change course.
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