Age verification pages on social media as Australia's under-16 ban takes effect

Australia banned under-16s from social media in a world-first crackdown on Wednesday, declaring it was time to "take back control" from formidable tech giants.

A raft of popular apps and websites -- Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X among them -- face US$33 million fines if they fail to purge Australia-based users younger than 16. Australia becomes one of the first nations to push back so forcefully against tech companies with immense political power, in a move other countries are looking at closely.

The government says unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from "predatory algorithms" filling phone screens with bullying, sex and violence. Most social media platforms already require users be at least 13, a legacy of US laws setting the minimum age for data collection without parental consent.