Australia’s Parliament has officially passed a proposed legislation banning children under 16 from using social media, one of the strictest regulations targeting youth usage of online platforms in the world.

The law, passed by the Senate on Thursday, mandates platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to prevent users within the designated age group from having personal accounts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese championed the legislation and rallied parents to support the bill.

Before the beginning of voting for the Bill’s passing, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese championed the legislation and rallied support from parents on his social media.

Albanese said social media was “a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators”.

Despite vocal opposition from advocates and some children’s rights groups, the new law was approved by 77% of voters.

Heavy financial sanctions for companies who fail to live up to the new standards were also approved in the new law, with fines of as much as $32 million, making it one of the strictest imposition of Social Media restrictions for youth.