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After more than five years in the making, new rules designed to protect children and other users on social media and the internet have now become law.

The Online Safety Bill was approved by the House of Lords last month and has now received royal assent - official approval - and has therefore become law.

As a result, online and social media companies will now be expected to remove any illegal content quickly or stop it from being uploaded in the first place.

The Online Safety Bill will make online and social media companies legally responsible for keeping children and young people safe online.

The companies will have to remove any content that is illegal or contains harmful material - such as posts promoting abuse, eating disorders or bullying.

To prevent children and young people accessing age-inappropriate content, companies will also need to enforce age limits and put age-checking measures in place.

If companies don't do this Ofcom - the media regulator - will be able to issue fines of up to £18 million. or in some cases company bosses could face going to prison.

Social media companies will also be required to keep underage children off their platforms by checking ages.

That means if you use an app like TikTok and you're not 13 yet, you won't be able to have an account.

The new law also means adults - parents - will have greater control over the kind of content their children will see or engage with online.

Ofcom will now set out codes of practice which will provide key advice on how to comply with the bill.

Some technology firms are worried that some of the measures outlined in the bill won't be able to be enforced, whilst digital rights campaigners say it could be a threat to freedom of expression.

But Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said it was "an historic moment that ensures the online safety of British society not only now, but for decades to come".

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive said the bill was "a watershed moment" and would mean children were safer.