Australia’s parliament is the first to pass a law that will aim to do what many parents struggled with -curb children’s use of social media. The new law was drafted in response to what the Labour prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says is a “clear, causal link between the rise of social media and the harm [to] the mental health of young Australians.”

The law, which passed Thursday in parliament’s upper house, the Senate with 34 votes to 19 banning children under 16 from social media platforms.

Advocacy groups, academics and politicians have warned that the ban – as proposed by the bill could backfire, driving teenagers to the dark web, or making them feel more isolated. There are questions about how it will work in practice. Many worry that the process has been rushed, and that, if users are asked to prove their age, it could lead to social media companies being handed valuable personal data.

The online safety amendment (social media minimum age) bill bans social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to access their services, threatening companies with fines of up to AU$50m if they fail to comply.

However, it was light on details about how it will work, only that the companies will be expected to take reasonable steps to ensure users are aged 16 or over. The detail will come later, through the completion of a trial of age-assurance technology in mid-2025. The bill won’t come into force for another 12 months.