Denmark to ban social media for under 15s

Denmark's government has agreed to implement a minimum age requirement of 15-years-old for use of certain social media platforms.

The plan, led by the Ministry of Digitalization, would set an age limit for social media access while allowing some parents to consent to their children using social media from age 13.

The measure would be one of the most far-reaching yet taken by a European Union government to tackle worries about social media use among teens and younger children, reported the Associated Press.

"As one of the first countries in the EU, Denmark is now taking a groundbreaking step towards introducing age limits on social media," said the digitalization ministry in a statement. "This is done to protect children and young people in the digital world."

Caroline Stage Olsen, Denmark's digital affairs minister, said online platforms were widespread among children, noting that 94 percent of under-13s, and more than half of those under 10, already have social media accounts.

"The amount of time they spend online, the amount of violence, self-harm that they are exposed to online, is simply too great a risk for our children," Stage Olsen said.

Commenting on the technology giants that operate the social media platforms, she added: "They have an absurd amount of money available, but they're simply not willing to invest in the safety of our children, invest in the safety of all of us."

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum "are making it clear that children should not be left alone in a digital world where harmful content and commercial interests are too much a part of shaping their everyday lives and childhoods", the ministry statement added.

"Children and young people have their sleep disrupted, lose their peace and concentration, and experience increasing pressure from digital relationships where adults are not always present.

"As a starting point, children under the age of 15 should not have access to platforms that may expose them to harmful content or harmful features," it said.

Officials did not specify which platforms will be affected or how the ban would be enforced when children have easy access to screens.

Australia will next month begin to enforce the world's first ban on social media for children, setting the minimum age at 16. It subjects platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram to fines for systemic failures to stop children under 16 from having accounts.

Stage Olsen said the Danish ban will not take effect straight away, as lawmakers will likely take months to pass the necessary legislation.

"I can assure you that Denmark will hurry, but we won't do it too quickly because we need to make sure that the regulation is right and that there are no loopholes for the tech giants to go through," she added.