Norway announced on Friday that it will introduce legislation this year to prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms, making it one of the latest countries to pursue such restrictions.
The government also stated that tech companies will be required to verify users’ ages.
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“We are putting forward this law because we want children to experience a proper childhood. Activities like play, friendships, and daily life should not be dominated by algorithms and screens,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement.
He added, “This is a crucial step in protecting children’s digital well-being.”
Several European nations, including France, Spain, and Denmark, have already announced plans to enforce a minimum age requirement for social media use, while countries such as Australia and Turkey have implemented similar measures.
The European Commission has also reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding young users online, recently unveiling an age-verification app in mid-April that will soon be accessible to citizens across Europe.
“I expect technology companies to enforce the age restrictions. Children should not bear the responsibility of avoiding platforms they are too young to use,” said Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, Karianne Tung.
She added, “The responsibility lies with the service providers. They must establish reliable age-verification systems and comply with the law from the outset.”
The government noted that the number of children owning mobile phones or actively using social media has already declined, due to various initiatives it has introduced, including national screen-time guidelines and policies encouraging mobile-free schools.
AFP
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