Australia's under 16s social media ban: How will it work and could the UK bring in a similar law?

Australian teenagers under 16 are set to face a world-first social media ban from 10 December.

The legislation has left tech platforms such as TikTok and Meta scrambling to figure out how to implement the ban to avoid fines of up to £25 million.

The companies need to find ways to close existing accounts belonging to under-16s and stop new ones from being created as the legislation comes into effect.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner says the restrictions "aim to protect young Australians from pressures and risks that users can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts".

"These come from design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing," the commissioner adds.

The law is designed to pro