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Australian Senate voted to approve a ban that will restrict children under 16 from using social media. The ban could see tech companies fined up to A$50m ($32.5m; £25.7m) if they don't comply.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the legislation is needed to protect young people from the "harms" of social media, something many parent groups have echoed.
Having passed the Senate by 34 votes to 19 late on Thursday, the bill will return to the House of Representatives - where the government has a majority meaning it is sure to pass - for it to approve amendments, before becoming law.
The legislation does not specify which platforms will be banned. Those decisions will be made later by Australia’s communications minister.
The government says it will rely on some form of age-verification technology to implement the restrictions, and options will be tested in the coming months.
Critics have sought assurances that privacy will be protected. They have also warned that restrictions could easily be circumvented through tools like a VPN - which can disguise a user’s location and make them appear to be logging on from another country.
Children who find ways to flout the rules will not face penalties, however.
Polling on the reforms, though limited, suggests it is supported by a majority of Australian parents and caregivers.
During a short consultation period before the bill passed, Google and Snap criticised the legislation for not providing more detail, and Meta said the bill would be "ineffective" and not meet its stated aim of making kids safer.
In its submission, TikTok said the government’s definition of a social media platform was so "broad and unclear" that "almost every online service could fall within [it]".
X questioned the "lawfulness" of the bill - saying it may not be compatible with international regulations and human rights treaties which Australia has signed.
Some youth advocates also accused the government of not fully understanding the role social media plays in their lives, and locking them out of the debate.
Albanese has acknowledged the debate is complex but steadfastly defended the bill.
