Attempts to prevent Australian children from accessing social media are likely to fail, and could do more harm than good

The Australian government's plan to ban children from social media to protect them from harm has won almost universal political support.

Australia's government has proposed a social media ban for children under the age of 16 which experts have described as a "momentous step," as parents globally call for greater regulation of tech companies.

One of the biggest outstanding questions is how social media companies will check who is over 16 years old. The Australian government announced on Friday it had awarded a contract to a UK-based organisation to trial different age-verification technologies that could be used to enforce a social-media ban.

Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content.

This law would make platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X responsible for blocking those younger than 16 from signing on.

Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the government would legislate for a ban on social media for children under 16, a policy the government says is world-leading.

Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday.