Norway has announced plans to increase the age limit for social media use to 15 in an effort to protect children from the “power of algorithms”.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the new rules would also prevent tech companies from collecting personal data from under-15s, which would extend to firms like Netflix.
The current minimum age limit to use social media in the Scandinavian country is 13, which is in line with the requirements of TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat’s terms of service.
Despite the current limits, more than half of nine-year-olds in Norway use social media, according to the country’s media authority, with children often able to easily bypass the restrictions.
“It sends quite a strong signal. Children must be protected from harmful content on social media,” the Prime Minister told local news outlet VG.
“These are big tech giants pitted against the brains of small children. We know that this is an uphill battle, because there are strong forces here, but it is also where politics is needed.”
Families minister Kjersti Toppe added: “Parents cannot stand alone in a battle with the technology giants. That is why we are considering stricter legislation.”
The move comes as several European countries are introducing bans on smartphones in schools in an effort to reduce screen addiction and tackle cyberbullying.
In September, 200 schools in France began testing a “digital break” that prevents students from using phones during school hours. If successful, the trial will be rolled out to all schools in January.
In the UK, Ofcom has threatened to ban under-18s from using social media unless tech companies comply with online safety rules designed to protect children from “toxic” material.
Meta, which runs Facebook and Instagram, has said that it has extra protections in place for children, as well as parental controls.
