Australian lawmakers on Wednesday moved a step closer to banning under-16s from social media platforms, threatening fines on companies that fail to comply.

The legislation, which was passed in the lower chamber of the country’s parliament on Wednesday, is now set to be debated by the Senate.

According to the legislation, the likes of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat have to take reasonable steps to prevent young teens from having accounts.

Meanwhile, social media firms, who could face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for failing to impose the ban, have described the laws as vague, problematic and rushed.

Centre-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is eyeing an election early next year, has championed the ban and rallied Aussie parents to get behind it.

In the run-up to Wednesday’s vote, he painted social media as a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators.

According to the Prime Minister, he wanted young Australians off their phones and onto the footy and cricket field, the tennis and netball courts, in the swimming pool.

On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world, however, the current legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced.

It will be at least 12 months before the details are worked out by regulators and the ban comes into effect.

Australia moves to ban under-16s from social media