Technology giants such as Meta, TikTok and Snapchat have responded to the government's new social media laws, which ban children and teenagers under 16 from using the platforms.

The world-first laws passed the Senate late on Thursday night and immediately made headlines around the world.

Under the laws, which won't come into force for another 12 months, social media companies could be fined up to $50 million for failing to take "reasonable steps" to keep under 16s off their platforms.

Now, the tech companies behind the apps used by millions of Australians have responded – and they have plenty of questions.

Meta 'concerned' about 'rushed' legislation

Meta, which owns both Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement that the company "respects the laws decided by the Australian Parliament".

"However, we are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people.

"Last week, the parliament's own committee said the 'causal link with social media appears unclear,' with respect to the mental health of young Australians, whereas this week the rushed Senate Committee report pronounced that social media caused harm."

Meta said this demonstrates "the lack of evidence underpinning the legislation and suggests this was a predetermined process".

"The task now turns to ensuring there is productive consultation on all rules associated with the bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens."

Meta's spokesperson also offered a suggestion for how the age verification system could operate.

"One simple option is age verification at the operating system and app store level which reduces the burden and minimises the amount of sensitive information shared," they said.

SnapChat also has 'serious concerns', points out 'many unanswered questions'

SnapChat, which will be covered by the bill after previous concerns the platform would be excluded, shared Meta's concern for the new laws.

"Alongside numerous academics and experts including the Privacy Commissioner and the Human Rights Commissioner, we have raised serious concerns about the legislation," a Snap spokesperson said.

"While there are many unanswered questions about how this law will be implemented in practice, we will engage closely with the government and the eSafety Commissioner during the 12-month implementation period to help develop an approach that balances privacy, safety and practicality.

"As always, Snap will comply with any applicable laws and regulations in Australia."

TikTok says safety of young users is a 'top priority'

A spokesperson for TikTok Australia said: "The safety of our community, particularly our younger users, is a top priority for TikTok."

"We will continue to work hard to enforce our high safety standards.

"We want to work together to keep teens safe and reduce the unintended consequences of this bill for all Australians."

Social media platforms such as X (previously Twitter) and Reddit were also contacted for comment.