US EditionNorway Plans Social Media Ban for Under-16s, Puts Age Checks on Tech Firms
Technology companies would have to verify users’ ages, and the government says 8,000 public consultation responses helped shape the stricter proposal.
- On Friday, Norway's government announced plans to propose a national ban on social media for children under 16 by the end of 2026, requiring technology companies to manage age verification.
- This move follows Australia's world-first ban enacted in December, which resulted in more than 4.7 million under-16 accounts being deactivated or removed since restrictions began.
- "We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said, emphasizing that daily life must not be dominated by algorithms and screens.
- At least 14 European countries are currently considering age-based restrictions on social media access, with Denmark, Italy, Portugal, and Spain actively exploring formal legislation or consultations.
- MPs recently voted 260 to 161 to reject an amendment to the Schools Bill that would have raised the age for social media access to 16, showing divergent approaches globally.
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Government proposal must be submitted by the end of the year, and the intention is that the law will come into force in 2027. Several countries have submitted similar projects in recent months, following Australia's pioneering example.
Norway Moves to Ban Social Media for Children
The Norwegian government said on April 24 that it would present a bill in parliament by the end of the year to ban children from using social media. The move will make the tech companies that own the sites responsible for verifying their users’ ages. “We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement. “Play, friendships, and everyday …
With this new law, scheduled for the end of the year, tech giants will be required to check the age of their young users.
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