Australia has enacted a law banning social media for under-16s, with strict penalties for platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, sparking debate over youth mental health versus privacy and access rights,

Technology giants respond to the government's new social media laws banning those under 16, meeting the "rushed process" with "concern" and disappointment.

Australia has been at loggerheads with the mostly U.S.-domiciled tech giants for years. It was the first country to make social media platforms pay media outlets royalties for sha