The Danish government announced this Friday (7th) that it has reached an agreement to ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social networks.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen introduced legislation in September that would restrict the use of digital platforms due to concerns about the mental health of children and adolescents. A majority of political parties in parliament have now expressed support for the plan.
“Denmark is now taking an innovative step towards introducing age restrictions on social media,” the country’s Digitalization Ministry said in a statement. “This is being done to protect children and young people in the digital world.”
“As a starting point, children under the age of 15 should not access platforms where they may be exposed to harmful content or resources,” the memo said.
The ministry did not say which platforms would be affected or how the ban would be enforced. If you are 13 years of age or older, you can circumvent the right of refusal if your parent or guardian allows you to do so.
What other actions are planned?
The agreement is also expected to allocate 160 million Danish Crowns (R$132 million) to initiatives aimed at strengthening the protection of children and young people online.
As part of the agreement, oversight of the European Union’s digital services law will be strengthened and resources will be allocated to support the development of alternative platforms. Further efforts will continue to be made to combat illegal advertising by influencers, the statement said.
The ministry said lawmakers were “making clear that children should not be left alone in a digital world where harmful content and commercial interests have too much influence on their lives and shaping their childhoods.”
The ministry claims social media leads to sleep disturbances and poor concentration, and puts pressure on children and adolescents through “digital relationships where adults are not always present.”
Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage said: “We are taking the necessary stance against developments that have given big technology platforms unfettered access to children’s rooms for far too long.”
Australia leads the way in banning social media for children
Denmark’s plan follows the example of Australia, which in December became the first country to ban social networks for children, setting a minimum age of 16.
Australian law provides for fines of up to A$50 million (R173 million) for this type of application that allows a child under the age of 16 to create an account.
On Wednesday, the country added Reddit forums and the Kick streaming platform to the list of social networks banned from use by children and adolescents. These platforms join Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, and YouTube.
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