The new law will deliver a message to tech companies to "clean up their act," the country's prime minister has said.

Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that criticism by Elon Musk of Australia's social media ban on children under 16 was the X owner pushing an agenda for the social platform, while indicating he was open to talk to the billionaire about the ban,

The landmark Social Media Minimum Age bill sets Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments. But opponents warn that young people may be driven to unsafe parts of the web.