Norway announces legislative plan to ban social media for children under sixteen

Norway has announced plans to introduce a parliamentary bill by the end of 2026 to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media.

The initiative, revealed on Friday, aims to place the legal responsibility for age verification directly on technology companies.

This move follows a growing global trend of European and Oceanic nations imposing stricter digital restrictions to protect minors from the perceived harms of online platforms.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere emphasised the necessity of the measure, stating that the government wants to ensure a "childhood where children get to be children" without being dominated by screens.

"Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens," Stoere remarked in an official statement.

While the government has yet to specify which applications will be targeted, the legislation is expected to mirror the broad scope of Australia's world-first ban enacted last December.

That ban encompasses major platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and X.

In response to the announcement, YouTube issued a statement defending its decade-long investment in safety tools, arguing that age-appropriate access empowers parents and prevents young people from migrating to "less safe places on the internet."

The proposed bill comes alongside recent developments in the United Kingdom, which this week announced a complete ban on mobile phones for those under 16 within school environments.

Norway’s minority Labour government expects the bill to be a significant measure in safeguarding the digital lives of the nation’s youth, prioritising physical socialisation over algorithmic engagement.