All Australians could be forced to register official identity documents with social media giants to prove they are over 16 years old, experts have warned, as the Albanese government tells Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat there will be no loopholes or exemptions to let them dodge world-leading new laws.

A ban on under-16s accessing social media could redefine a horrified generation of phone-addicted teens, but questions are being asked about how a ban would work, and whether citizens would risk having their driver’s licences, passports or other private data tracked.