Denmark’s government aims to ban access to social media for children under age 15

COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s government on Friday announced a political agreement to ban access to social media for anyone under age 15.

The move, led by the Ministry of Digitalization, would set the age limit for access to social media but give some parents — after a specific assessment — the right to give consent to let their children access social media from age 13.

Such a measure would be among the most sweeping steps yet by a European government to address concerns about the use of social media among teens and younger children, which has drawn concerns in many parts of an increasingly online world.

It follows upon a move in December in Australia, where its parliament enacted the world’s first ban on social media for children — setting the minimum age at 16.

That made platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram subject to fines of up to $33 million for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

The Danish Digitalization Ministry statement said the age minimum of 15 would be introduced for “certain” social media, though it did not specify which ones. Nor did the statement indicate how such a move would be enforced, in a world where millions of children have easy access to screens.

But the move nonetheless was likely to stir debate well beyond Denmark’s borders.

“As one of the first countries in the EU, Denmark is now taking a groundbreaking step towards introducing age limits on social media,” the ministry said. “This is done to protect children and young people in the digital world.”

A coalition of lawmakers from the political right, left and center “are making it clear that children should not be left alone in a digital world where harmful content and commercial interests are too much a part of shaping their everyday lives and childhoods,” the ministry said.

“Children and young people have their sleep disrupted, lose their peace and concentration, and experience increasing pressure from digital relationships where adults are not always present,” it said. “This is a development that no parent, teacher or educator can stop alone.”

Pressure from tech giants’ business models was “too massive,” the ministry added, citing a comment from Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage that through the agreement, Danish authorities were “finally drawing a line in the sand and setting a clear direction.”

“Denmark is now leading the way in Europe with a national age limit for social media and a concerted effort to strengthen the digital wellbeing of children and young people,” she said. “We are taking a necessary stand against a development where large tech platforms have had free rein in children’s rooms for far too long.”