Denmark is planning to follow Australia's lead and severely restrict social media access for young people, per the AP. The Danish government announced last month that it had secured an agreement by three governing coalition and two opposition parties in parliament to ban access to social media for anyone under the age of 15. Such a measure would be the most sweeping step yet by a European Union nation to limit use of social media among teens and children. The Danish government's plans could become law as soon as mid-2026. The proposed measure would give some parents the right to let their children access social media from age 13, local media reported, but the ministry has not yet fully shared the plans.
Many social media platforms already ban children younger than 13 from signing up, and an EU law requires Big Tech to put measures in place to protect young people from online risks and inappropriate content. But officials and experts say such restrictions don't always work.
The minister for digital affairs, Caroline Stage, who announced the proposed ban last month, said there is still a consultation process for the measure and several readings in parliament before it becomes law, perhaps by "mid to end of next year." In an interview last month, she compared the social media age restrictions to bouncers at a bar who ensure under-agers don't get in.
Some students in Denmark fear losing touch with their virtual communities. But others acknowledge the negative impacts of social media, from cyberbullying to seeing graphic content. A 14-year-old Copenhagen student tells the AP she saw video of a man being shot because it was "everywhere" on social media. Other countries are making similar moves. Malaysia is expected to ban social media accounts for people under 16 starting at the beginning of next year, and Norway is also taking steps to restrict social media access for children and teens.
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