Australia's Parliament has introduced groundbreaking legislation to ban social media access for those under 16 years old, with substantial fines for platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland emphasized the urgent need to protect children from harmful content, referencing research revealing that a significant portion of teens have encountered dangerous material online. The bill, which enjoys bipartisan political support, will require platforms to implement age-verification technologies while also facing scrutiny over potential privacy issues. Opponents warn that the ban may isolate teens and push them to less safe online environments.