The Danish government has reached an agreement to implement a minimum age requirement of 15 years old on certain social media platforms, it announced on Friday.
The move follows Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s call for restrictions on children’s use of social media in her opening speech to Parliament last month, due to concerns over youth mental health. A majority of parties in parliament said they would support the plan, according to the Deutsche Welle.
“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 country’s digitalization ministry in a statement. “This is done to protect children and young people in the digital world.”
“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,” the statement said.
The ministry did not specify which social media platforms are affected or how the ban will be enforced.
However, exceptions can be made if parents believe their child should have access to social media at an earlier age. According to the statement, parents will have the opportunity to consent to their children’s access, if their children are as young as 13.
What other activities are planned?
The agreement also envisages allocating 160 million Danish kroner (€21.4 million; $24.8 million) to 14 initiatives aimed at strengthening the protection of children and young people online and creating a better framework for their digital lives.
As part of the agreement, EU’s Digital Services Act supervision will be strengthened, and funds will be allocated to support the development of alternative social media platforms. Additionally, extra efforts will be made to combat illegal marketing by influencers, the statement mentioned.
A coalition of lawmakers “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 said.
“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,” it said. “This is a development that no parent, teacher or educator can stop alone.”
“Denmark is now leading the way in Europe with a national age limit for social media and a concerted effort to strengthen the digital wellbeing of children and young people,” Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage said.
“We are taking a necessary stand against a development where large tech platforms have had free rein in children’s rooms for far too long.”
Australia leads the world in banning social media for children
This Danish plan follows Australia’s lead. In December, Australia is set to become the first country to ban social media for children, setting the minimum age at 16.
In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a United Nations forum in New York that she was “inspired” by Australia’s “common sense” decision to enact age restrictions.
The legislation subjects social media platforms to fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (€30 million; $32.3 million) for allowing children under 16 to create accounts.
On Wednesday, Australia announced that it had added the message board Reddit and the livestreaming service Kick to its list of social media platforms that must prohibit children under 16 from having accounts.
These platforms will join Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, and YouTube in facing a world-first legal obligation to shut down accounts belonging to younger Australian children on December 10, according to Communications Minister Anika Wells.
