MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australian Senate passes social media ban for young children, which will soon become a world-first law.

Google and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms urged the Australian government on Tuesday to delay a bill that will ban most forms of social media for children under 16, saying more time was needed to assess its potential impact.

Australia’s House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban children younger than 16 years old from social media.

Australia's House of Representatives passes bill banning children younger than age 16 from social media.

Australia passed a law on Thursday to ban social media for children aged under 16 after days of heated debate, setting a standard for other countries to follow in a global push to curb the power of Big Tech.