Australia launches 'landmark' bill to ban social media for children under 16

FILE PHOTO: TikTok logo is seen through broken glass in this illustration taken, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's centre-left government on Thursday introduced a bill in parliament that aims to ban social media for children under 16 and proposed fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for social media platforms for systemic breaches.

Australia plans to trial an age-verification system that may include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off, some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date.