Australia's senate considers social media ban for children under 16

Australia's senate is considering barring children younger than 16 from social media, after the House of Representatives passed the bill.

Some, including opposition senator, Maria Kovacic, argue that the restriction is desperately needed.

"The core focus of this legislation is simple: it demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms. This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favour of profit. This is not a radical concept, it’s a necessary one," Kovacic said.

But not everyone agrees. Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young accused those in favour of the bill of "trying to fool the Australian population that they are doing this in the interest of children...This is a political fix, not a social media fix."

Others argue that the legislation would undermine parental authority to make choices for their own children, and could lead children to the dark web.

Despite criticisms, the bill is expected to be passed by the Senate.