The Microsoft co-founder has insisted platforms such as Instagram can "absorb your time" and "make you worry about other people approving you" and he's convinced banning under-16s from using them is a "smart thing".

In an interview with the BBC, he went on to add: "Social networking, even more than video gaming, can absorb your time and make you worry about other people approving you ... [We have to be] very careful how it gets used."

When asked about a proposed ban on under-16s using social media sites in Australia, Gates said: "[There's a] good chance ... [it's] a smart thing".

Gates also admitted he's worried about the blurring lines between free speech and truth following Meta's decision to scrap fact-checking in the US.

He added: "I don't personally know how you draw that line, but I'm worried that we're not handling that as well as we should."

It comes as Gates releases his new memoir 'Source Code' in which he charts his rise to the top of his Microsoft tech empire and in the book, he admits he believes he is on the "autism spectrum" but was never given an official diagnosis.

In the book, he wrote: "If I were growing up today. I probably would be diagnosed on the autism spectrum.

"My parents had no guideposts or textbooks to help them grasp why their son became so obsessed with certain projects, missed social cues, and could be rude or inappropriate without seeming to notice his effect on others."

He also touched on the subject in his interview with the BBC, admitting it's been a massive help in his career. He explained: "The positive characteristics for my career have been more beneficial than the deficits have been a problem for me."