Norwegians also plan to ban social media for children

(Patria) - Norway announced yesterday that by the end of the year, it will present a bill to members of parliament that would ban social media use for those under 16.

Technological companies would be responsible for verifying their age.

Several European countries are already trying to curb social media use among children, especially after Australia set a global precedent in December last year by deciding to ban social media use for everyone under 16.

- We are introducing this law because we want children to have a childhood where they can be children. Algorithms and screens must not take precedence over play, friendships, and everyday life. This is an important measure to protect the digital aspect of children's lives - said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The government has not announced which applications the measures will apply to.

The Australian ban covered Meta's applications such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as TikTok, Snapchat, Google's YouTube, and Musk's X, formerly Twitter.

YouTube announced yesterday that it has been investing in child safety for over a decade to ensure its platforms provide age-appropriate experiences that also make parents feel safer.

"In this way, we enable access to learning for millions of young people and at the same time prevent young people from being directed to less safe places on the internet," the company's statement reads.

Norway will present its bill to parliament by the end of 2026, the minority Labour government announced.