Australians reacted on Friday with a mixture of anger and relief to a social media ban on children under 16 that the government says is world-leading, but which tech giants like TikTok argue could push young people to "darker corners of the internet".

Australia's new law banning social media for those under 16 will likely move the needle on Canadian efforts demanding more online protections for young people, experts say, though they call the 'sledgehammer approach' of a total ban an imperfect solution.

The new law will deliver a message to tech companies to "clean up their act," the country's prime minister has said.