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MELBOURNE, Australia —\u00a0Australia\u2019s states and territories on Friday unanimously backed a national plan to require most forms of social media to\u00a0bar children<\/a>\u00a0younger than 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaders of the eight provinces held a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese<\/a> to discuss what he calls a world-first national approach that would make platforms including X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook responsible for enforcing the age limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSocial media is doing social harm to our young Australians,\u201d Albanese told reporters. \u201cThe safety and mental health of our young people has to be a priority.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The government leaders had been discussing for months setting a limit, considering options from 14 to 16 years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Tasmania would have preferred 14, the state was prepared to support 16 in the interests of achieving national uniformity, Albanese said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The legislation will be introduced into Parliament within two weeks, and the age ban would take effect a year after it passes into law, giving platforms time to work out how to exclude children. The government has yet to offer a technical solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The delay is also intended to allow time to address privacy concerns around age verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main opposition party has given in-principle support to the 16-year age limit since it was announced on Thursday, suggesting the legislation will pass the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The minor Greens party was critical, saying the ban would prevent the emergence in Australia of future child environmental activists like Sweden’s Greta Thunberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n