Students look at their phones in Melbourne on Nov. 28 as Australia looks to ban children under 16 from social media with claims social media platforms have been tarnished by cyberbullying, the spread of illegal content, and election-meddling claims. (Photo: AFP)

A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law.

Australia has been at loggerheads with the mostly U.S.-domiciled tech giants for years. It was the first country to make social media platforms pay media outlets royalties for sha