An Australian Senate committee has backed a bill that would ban social media for children under 16 but said social media platforms should not force users to submit personal data such as passport and other digital identification to prove their age.
Australia plans to trial an age-verification system that may include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off, some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's center-left Labor government is rushing to pass the bill, largely supported by the opposition Liberal party, by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday.
In its report published late on Tuesday, the Senate's environment and communications legislation committee said social media platforms "must set out alternative methods for assuring age as reasonable steps with consideration given to the age assurance trial."