Australia has enacted a law banning social media for under-16s, with strict penalties for platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, sparking debate over youth mental health versus privacy and access rights,

Technology giants respond to the government's new social media laws banning those under 16, meeting the "rushed process" with "concern" and disappointment.

Big Tech companies including Meta and TikTok hit out at a landmark Australian law that bans youths under the age of 16 from accessing social media, saying the law was "rushed" through parliament.