Norway Proposes Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16 in Landmark Digital Safety Push
Legislation requiring age verification by technology companies follows Australia’s world-first ban and positions Norway at the forefront of European child protection efforts
OSLO — April 24, 2026 — Norway’s government has announced plans to introduce a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, becoming the latest country to pursue stringent digital age restrictions as concerns mount over the impact of algorithms and excessive screen time on young people’s mental health and development.
The proposal, confirmed by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Thursday, April 23, would raise the minimum age from the current 13-year limit and place responsibility for age verification directly on technology companies. The legislation is expected to be presented to the Norwegian parliament (Stortinget) by the end of 2026 and could take effect as early as next year .
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“We are presenting this law because we want a childhood where children get to be children. Play, friendship and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens,” Støre said in a statement. “This is an important step to secure children’s digital everyday lives” .
A Uniform Age Limit for Entire Cohorts
Under the proposed legislation, the ban would apply until January 1 of the year a child turns 16, meaning that entire school cohorts would gain access simultaneously. Students would be approximately 15 years old when they first become eligible for accounts on platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter) and Threads .
The government revised its original proposal following public consultations. An earlier draft had suggested a 15-year age limit based on individual birth dates. Officials said they received clear feedback that all children within the same year group should be treated equally to prevent social exclusion.
“Children and young people themselves pointed us in this direction,” said Children and Family Minister Lene Vågslid. “We want to maintain inclusion and community spirit. That is why we propose that the cutoff is based on the calendar year rather than birth date, so that entire cohorts get equal opportunities, regardless of when in the year they are born” .
Technology Companies Bear Responsibility
The proposed law places the burden of enforcement squarely on technology platforms rather than on children or parents. Under the framework, social media companies would be required to implement “real age verification” systems at login, with mechanisms linked to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) .
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“I expect technology companies to take responsibility for ensuring that the age limit is respected,” said Digitalization and Public Administration Minister Karianne Tung. “Children and young people should not have the sole responsibility for staying away from platforms they are not allowed to use. That responsibility lies with the companies that offer the services. They must ensure real age verification and comply with the law from day one” .
Tung confirmed that the government has been in dialogue with technology companies and will continue these discussions as the legislative process moves forward .
Norway will align its enforcement mechanisms with the DSA framework. Companies that fail to comply could face significant fines, reportedly up to six percent of their global annual turnover — a penalty structure consistent with the DSA’s provisions for major violations .
Enforcement and Privacy Concerns
The proposal has drawn scrutiny from Norway’s Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet), which has expressed concerns about privacy implications of age verification systems.
“We believe, in principle, that this cannot be left to technology companies. We do not trust that privacy will be adequately safeguarded,” said Tobias Judin, a section head at the authority, in comments to Norwegian media .
Government officials have acknowledged these concerns but maintain that the urgency of protecting children outweighs potential implementation challenges. The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will formalize the regulatory requirements, and the DSA is expected to provide the legal foundation for mandating age verification systems .
Widespread Social Media Use Among Norwegian Youth
Official figures highlight the scope of the challenge the legislation seeks to address. According to Norway’s media regulator (Medietilsynet), despite the current minimum age of 13 for most platforms, 51 percent of children aged 9 to 10 and 74 percent of those aged 11 to 12 were active on social media in 2026. By ages 13 to 14, nearly all adolescents use social media platforms .
Data from the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) indicates that half of nine-year-olds already use social media, and by age 13, nearly all children are active on these platforms . Approximately 400,000 children in Norway are between the ages of 10 and 15.
Prime Minister Støre framed the proposal as a necessary intervention to protect developing minds against powerful technological forces.
“It is a mismatch to pit children’s brains at that age against algorithms developed by the world’s most skilled technologists,” Støre said .
A Growing Global Movement
Norway joins a growing list of countries taking legislative action to restrict children’s access to social media. Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a full ban for children under 16 in December 2025, leading to the closure of approximately 4.7 million accounts .
Other European nations are pursuing similar measures. France’s Senate has approved legislation setting the age at 15 without parental consent, though the law is currently undergoing EU consultation. Austria has announced plans for a 14-year age limit, and Greece recently proposed a ban for children under 15. Spain, Denmark and Portugal are also developing age-restriction frameworks .
Turkey’s parliament passed a bill on April 22, 2026 — just one day before Norway’s announcement — banning children under 15 from social media, marking another significant development in the global trend toward stricter digital age limits.
The European Commission has expressed support for stronger child protection regulations and is developing an age verification application expected to be available to European citizens in the near future .
Legislative Timeline and Political Support
The Norwegian government will formally present the bill to parliament before the end of 2026. The proposal will undergo an EEA (European Economic Area) consultation before the summer, with the standard consultation period lasting approximately three months .
The bill’s passage will depend on securing a parliamentary majority. While the governing Labour Party has expressed confidence in its ability to build cross-party support, the final outcome remains to be determined.
“I am convinced we will get this in place,” Tung said .
Children and Family Minister Vågslid drew a parallel between the proposed social media restrictions and historic public health measures.
“This will be our generation’s smoking legislation,” Vågslid said, comparing the initiative to successful campaigns that reduced tobacco use among young people .
“We want a childhood where children get to be children. Play, friendship and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens.”
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre
Potential Exemptions and Scope
The legislation applies specifically to social media platforms defined as services that allow users to create profiles, connect with other users, and share user-generated content with the public. The government has indicated that children will still be permitted to play computer games, express opinions, organize politically, and access information online .
The list of affected platforms is not yet finalized and remains subject to assessment before the bill is ready for presentation. The government has indicated that YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, X and Threads are among the platforms under consideration for the age restriction .
SOURCES / INPUTS
Anadolu Ajansı: Norway moves to raise social media age limit to 16 (2026-04-24)
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