India, Dec. 10 -- Australia's landmark ban blocking children under 16 from major social media platforms has officially taken effect. It's raising questions about whether the United States, along with other countries, could pursue a similar model.

The world-first policy, which began on Wednesday, requires major apps to verify user ages and remove under-16 accounts or face steep fines, CNN reported. The rollout comes after years of global concern over teen mental health, online exploitation, and addictive platform design.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked the rollout with a video message calling it "a day when families are taking back power." With Denmark and Malaysia exploring similar rules, Australia's policy is already seen as a p...