Norway to Raise Social Media Age Limit to 15 for Child Protection
Norway plans to raise the minimum age limit for social media use to 15 in an effort to protect children. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described this move as part of the government's campaign against tech companies, which he said are “pitted against the minds of small children.” He stressed that politicians need to step in to safeguard children from the power of algorithms, acknowledging that it would be a challenging battle. “These big tech giants are positioned against young minds. We know this is an uphill battle, but it is where politics is necessary,” he stated.
Currently, the minimum age for social media use in Norway is 13. However, research by the Norwegian media authority shows that more than half of nine-year-olds, 58% of 10-year-olds, and 72% of 11-year-olds are active on social media.
The government has committed to introducing additional measures to prevent children from bypassing age restrictions. These include amending the Personal Data Act to require users to be 15 years old to consent to their personal data being processed and developing age verification systems for social media.
Minister of Children and Families Kjersti Toppe noted that these measures are also aimed at empowering parents to say “no” with confidence. During a meeting with parents in Stavanger, she said, “Many parents want to say no, but they feel they can’t.” The government is exploring methods to enforce these restrictions without infringing on human rights, such as requiring a bank account for age verification.