Australia is preparing to ban social media for children under 16 in a bid to prevent harm to young people as the Prime Minister prepares to introduce legislation.

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

“Social media is harming our children and I spend time on it,” he said.

“I’ve talked to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Like me, they are very concerned about the safety of our children online and I want Australian parents and families to know that the government has your back.

“I want parents to be able to say, ‘I’m sorry, man, that’s against the law.’

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.”

The opposition had called for restricting access to social media for children under 16 by early 2024.

Social media companies would be forced to ban children under 14 from their platforms and face hefty fines under proposed legislation put forward by the South Australian government.

He appointed former Supreme Court justice Robert French to examine how companies can restrict children.

Mr Albanese said the eSafety Commissioner would provide oversight and enforcement and the legislation would come into force 12 months after it passes 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.