Australia's biggest social experiment: a ban on social media for under-16s

Next week, Australia will become the first country in the world to ban social media accounts for users under 16, a rare bipartisan move, with both sides of government backing the legislation in an effort to curb the harmful impacts of social media on young people.

Under the new rules, children under 16 will be barred from creating or maintaining accounts on platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Threads, X, Kick and YouTube.

How will it work, what parents, teens, and platforms need to know ahead of the ban.