Before Parliament passed the ban last year, more than 140 Australian and international academics with expertise in fields related to technology and child welfare signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opposing a social media age limit as “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.”

Australia enacted a world-first social media ban Dec. 10, blocking kids under 16 from social media, sparking censorship fears and a major legal challenge.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took aim at young people parading themselves on social media a day after a world-first ban on under-16s went live, saying the rollout was always going to be bumpy but would ultimately save lives.

The federal government could be left playing "whack-a-mole" as ousted under-16s flock to new social media platforms, experts have told the ABC.The Commonwealth's long-awaited social media ban for people under 16 years old came into effect this month.

Pressure is mounting on Congress to act after Australia’s under-16 social media ban sparked calls from U.S. lawmakers to better protect children online.

Hundreds of thousands of social media accounts are being deactivated as the world’s first social media ban goes into effect now in Australia for kids under 16. Here’s how it will work.