Australia’s government says it will introduce globe-first legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the “damage” social media was inflicting on Australian children.

“This one is for the mums and dads… They, like me, are worried ill about the safety of our kids online. I desire Australian families to recognize that the government has your back,” he said.

While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban will not apply to youthful people already on social media.

There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents. The government says that the onus will be on social media platforms to display they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access.

Albanese said there would be no penalties for users, and that it would be up to Australia’s online regulator – the eSafety Commissioner – to enforce the laws.

The legislation would arrive into force 12 months after it passes and be subject to a review after it’s in place.

While most experts consent that social media platforms can damage the mental health of adolescents, many are split over the efficacy of trying to outlaw them all together.

Some experts debate that bans only delay youthful people’s exposure to apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, instead of teaching them how to navigate complicated online spaces.

Previous attempts at restricting access, including by the European Union, have largely failed or found the implementation challenging given that there are tools which can circumvent age-verification requirements.

Australia’s peak body for kid rights has criticised the proposed ban as “too blunt an instrument”.

In an open note sent to the government in October, signed by over 100 academics and 20 civil population groups, the Australian kid Rights Taskforce called on Albanese to instead look at imposing “safety standards” on social media platforms.

The throng also pointed to UN advice that “national policies” aimed at regulating online spaces “should be aimed at providing children with the chance to advantage from engaging with the digital surroundings and ensuring their secure access to it”.

But other grassroots organisations have lobbied Australia’s government for the laws, saying bans are needed to protect children from harmful content, misinformation, bullying and other social pressures.

A petition by campaign throng 36Months, which has over 120,000 signatures, argues children are “not yet ready to navigate online social networks safely” until at least 16, and that currently “excessive social media use is rewiring youthful brains within a critical window of psychological advancement, causing an epidemic of mental illness”.

When asked whether there should be broader efforts to educate children about how to navigate the benefits and risks of being online, Albanese said that such an way would be insufficient because it “assumes an equal power connection”.

“I don’t recognize about you, but I get things popping up on my structure that I don’t desire to view. Let alone a vulnerable 14-year-ancient,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“These tech companies are incredibly powerful. These apps have algorithms that drive people towards sure behaviour.”