Australia will move to ban social media for children under 16, with the prime minister declaring he is “taking his time” on the harm being done to young people.

The government decided on Monday to set a minimum age for accessing social media, Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday.

“Social media is harming our children and I’m devoting time to it,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the proposal would go to a virtual meeting of the country’s leaders on Friday.

“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to block access,” he said.

“This responsibility will not be on parents or young people. Users will not be penalized.”

He said the E-Safety Commissioner will provide oversight and enforcement, with the law coming into force within 12 months after it is passed by parliament.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the proposed laws were world-leading.

“Coming to this age, the government has taken a pragmatic approach,” he said.

“Our approach helps strike a balance between enabling connection and engagement while minimizing the harms caused by young people accessing social media.”

The government will implement privacy protections for information collected for age assurance purposes.