United Kingdom, Oct. 13 -- Google has expressed serious doubts about Australia's upcoming social media ban for under-16s.

The tech giant is warning lawmakers that the legislation - billed as one of the toughest in the world - will be "extremely difficult to enforce" and could have unintended consequences for online safety.

Set to take effect on December 10, the new law prohibits children under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts on platforms such as Facebook, X, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, which is owned by Google.

Companies found violating the rule could face penalties of up to 50 million Australian dollars.

Speaking before an Australian Senate committee, Rachel Lord, Google and YouTube's senior manager of public p...