Australia just passed a world-first law. And Americans want the same.

Australia made history when it signed off on legislation banning children under 16 from social media in a move that earned headlines worldwide.

The laws, which will come into effect in late 2025, will include platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). Exemptions will apply for health and education services, including YouTube, Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline and Google Classroom.

The world-first move has faced harsh backlash from critics. But while not all experts are happy, many parents are.

YouGov's latest survey found 77 per cent of Australians back the Social Media Minimum Age bill, up from 61 per cent in August.

In addition, 87 per of Australians support the introduction of stronger penalties for social media companies that fail to comply with Australian laws.

Online, the sentiment overseas appears overwhelmingly supportive, too, with many Americans calling for their government to introduce similar measures.

"You mean the country that banned assault weapons after their mass shooting is now banning social media for kids? Almost like they care for their kids more than we do," one parent in the US wrote.

"Finally some common sense," another said.

One mum added: "The US should have passed this law a long time ago."

And some young people agree, with one saying, "As someone who isn't quite 16 yet in the US, I think we should do the same."

In Germany, a large majority of people said they would support a similar law, according to a new survey.

Some 77 per cent of the almost 2000 respondents in the YouGov poll, published on Saturday, indicated they would either "fully" or "somewhat" support such a law in Germany.

The government's decision hasn't been entirely welcomed though, with some parents in the US agreeing with criticism that it was an overreach by the government.

Many were quick to question how the ban will be enforced. The answer is not yet clear, but social media platforms have one year to figure it out.

Watch: Does social media negatively impact teens mental health? Post continues below.

Expert opinions on Australia's social media ban legislation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the law supported parents concerned by online harm to their children.

"Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them," he said.

Social media sites will have to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from creating accounts, with $50 million fines to be imposed on companies for systemic breaches.

It's a contentious move, with human rights groups saying an outright ban wasn't a proportionate response to protect young people and impinged on their rights.

The office of the eSafety Commissioner said age assurance was important but had to be part of a broader approach.

"We must also continue working to ensure online services are safe by design and to build children's digital literacy, resilience and critical reasoning skills so that when they are of age to use these services... they are equipped for the online world," it said.

The Australian Human Rights Commission said while the ban was designed to protect children from harm, it would likely have negative human rights impacts on young people.

"Where rights are limited to protect children from online harms, any limitations must be lawful, necessary and proportionate," it said.

"If there are less restrictive options available to achieve the aim of protecting children from harm, they should be preferred over a blanket ban."

Meanwhile, 140 experts signed an open letter to the government expressing concern that the bill is "too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively".

University of Bath behavioural science professor David Ellis said the ban was "doomed to fail".

"Teens… have not only been largely excluded from the debate, but will work around the ban using VPNs or associated technologies," he said.

University of Oxford human behaviour professor Andrew Przybylski agreed, saying the policy was "well intentioned but deeply misguided".

"Effective legislation should be evidence-based, include the voice of young people, and hold tech companies to account. This law as it was passed does none of these things and it's more a question of when, not if, it will be repealed," he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese believes the bill will protect Australian children. Image: Getty

What do social media companies think about Australia's social media ban?

Social media companies have criticised the laws as "rushed" and difficult to enforce. They are the ones who bear the burden of implementing them.

"We are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people," a spokesperson for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said.

"The task now turns to ensuring there is productive consultation on all rules associated with the bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens."

A TikTok spokesperson said it was "disappointed" in the legislation, accusing the government of ignoring the advice of experts.

"It's entirely likely the ban could see young people pushed to darker corners of the internet where no community guidelines, safety tools, or protections exist," they said.

A Snapchat spokesperson said the company had "many unanswered questions" about how the law would work but it was committed to working closely with the government.

"As always, Snap will comply with any applicable laws and regulations in Australia," the company said, per AFP.

Albanese has rejected the claim it had been rushed saying, the government will "work to make sure that it's got right".

"We don't argue that its implementation will be perfect... but we know that it's the right thing to do," he said last week.

-with AAP

Feature image: Getty.