Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday social media firms would be required to destroy personal data used to verify ages of users, as part of what the government says is a world-leading ban on under-16s using the services.

An advocate for major social media platforms has told Australia's Parliament that a plan to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed rather than being rushed to approval this week.

As senators gather to discuss the federal government's planned social media ban for under-16s, some young people feel the bill will reduce harm but negatively impact their ability to communicate.