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Norway says it will present a bill in parliament by the end of the year to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, following in Australia’s steps.
Several European nations have sought to rein in children’s use of social media after Australia took the lead with a world-first ban on under-16s last December.
Denmark has announced plans for a similar ban, while a French parliamentary enquiry has recommended banning under-15s from social media, and the Spanish government is drafting laws requiring legal guardians to authorise access for under-16s.
Oslo said technology companies would be held responsible for the task of age verification.
“We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement.
“Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens. This is an important measure to safeguard children’s digital lives.”
The government did not say which applications would be targeted.
Australia’s ban covers Meta apps such as Instagram and Facebook as well as TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter.
Norway will introduce its bill in parliament by the end of 2026, the minority Labour government has said.
Reuters
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