Australia has officially become the first country in the world to formally ban social media use for minors under 16, with the ban coming into effect on Wednesday.

formally bar users under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, a move expected to be closely monitored by global tech companies and policymakers around the world.

According to reports, the law, which was passed earlier their year, officially to effect at the stroke of midnight Australian time and takes aim at 10 major service providers such as Alphabet’s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat and Elon Musk’s X.

Under the controversial rule, these social online platforms are now required to take “reasonable steps” in preventing underage access, using various available age–verification methods such as inference from online activity, facial estimation via selfies, uploaded IDs, or linked bank details among tactics to remain complant.

All targeted platforms had agreed to comply with the policy to a degree, with the Elon Musk-owned X the last one to officially signal its agreement, which is came on Wednesday, as per CNBC.

Reports say that the new law means the accounts of millions of Australians who fall inside the targeted group are to be immediately impacted.

Supporters of the bill defend the move as a safeguard for children against social media-linked harms, including “cyberbullying, mental health issues, and exposure to predators and pornography”