The Albanese government has leapt upon new research showing an array of tools can effectively verify or estimate the age of internet users to justify its world-first move to ban people under 16 from having social media accounts.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X and YouTube will have to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians aged under 16 from creating or keeping accounts from December under legislation passed last year.

Companies could be fined up to $49.5 million if they fail to take sufficient steps to stop under-16s from holding accounts on their platforms.

Tech giants say the rules will be difficult to put into effect and that they could be easily circumvented by tech-savvy teenagers through the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and

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