Australia is poised to become the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use on Wednesday, according to the reports. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be required to block over a million accounts of users under 16, marking the start of a wave of global regulation.

From midnight (1300 GMT), ten major platforms must comply or face fines of up to USD 49.5 million. While the law has drawn sharp criticism from tech companies and free speech advocates, it has been praised by parents and child welfare groups.