Eyes around the world are turned to Australia as its world-first ban on social media for users under age 16 takes effect. The tough new law aims to block Australian children and younger teens from addictive social platforms and harmful content online.

As the country awakens on Dec. 10, the platforms the Australian government has singled out in its initial list — Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Reddit, Threads, X (formerly Twitter) and Kick — must have deactivated or removed accounts of its users in this age cohort and ensured they cannot set up new ones, a process that some of the companies began last week.

The process won't proceed perfectly right away, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and others in his government have admitted, having said that about

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