SYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Australia on Thursday passed

into law a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an

emotive debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for

jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest

regulations targeting Big Tech.

The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner

Meta to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines

of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million). A trial of methods to

enforce it will start in January with the ban to take effect in

a year.

A number of countries have already vowed to curb social

media use by children through legislation, but Australia's

policy is the most stringent.

SUNITA BOSE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN DIGITAL INDUSTRY

GROUP, DIGI

"It's cart before horse... We have the bill but we don't

have guidance from the Australian government around what are the

right methods that a whole host of services subject to this law

will need to employ."

SARAH HANSON-YOUNG, GREENS PARTY SENATOR:

"This is a rubbish Bill, it has no substance and it doesn't

even take place for another 12 months. It's also obvious that

the people who have drafted and fought for the particular

elements of this Bill actually have no idea how young people

engage with the internet. This is boomers trying to tell young

people how the internet should work."

SARAH HENDERSON, LIBERAL PARTY SENATOR:

"We know there is widespread concern and evidence about the

severe mental health impact of social media on children. We've

seen very disturbing global trends in youth mental health since

the rise of social media, especially for girls."

LEONARDO PUGLISI, 16-YEAR OLD AND CHIEF ANCHOR OF 6 NEWS

AUSTRALIA:

"I think this ban will really stifle creativity. Not just in

Australia but there have been young people around the world from

the ages of 13, 14, 15 who have been able to explore their

passions maybe make a career out of it through social media in

some form or another."

AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

"Given the potential for these laws to significantly

interfere with the rights of children and young people, the

Commission has serious reservations about the proposed social

media ban."

"There are arguments for and against the introduction of a

social media ban for under-16s. While a ban may help to protect

children and young people from online harms, it will also limit

important human rights."

FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM-OWNER META PLATFORMS (said earlier

this week)

"It will fail to achieve its stated goals of making young

people safer online and supporting those who experience harms

from their use of technology. In its present form, the bill is

inconsistent and ineffective."

"The Bill in its present form will fail to achieve its goal

of reducing the burden on parents to manage the safety of young

people on social media, overlooks what parents have said they

want with respect to managing young people online, and ignores

the evidence provided by well over 100 child safety and mental

health groups here in Australia and internationally."