Australia today moved closer to banning social media for children under 16 after the parliament’s lower house passed the bill even as Alphabet’s Google and Facebook-owner Meta pressed the government to delay the legislation.

Australia’s House of Representatives passed the bill 102 votes to 13 after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s centre-left Labor government secured bipartisan support for the ban.

The Senate is expected to debate the bill later yesterday, with the government keen to ensure it is passed by the end of the parliamentary year tomorrow.

Albanese, trying to lift his approval ratings ahead of an election expected in May, has argued that excessive use of social media poses risks to the physical and mental health of children and is looking for support from parents.