Norway has also announced it will restrict social media for people under 16, following child safety concerns and a ban on social media for teenagers.
Norway said on Friday it would introduce a bill to parliament by the end of the year to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, making technology companies responsible for the task of age verification.
It comes as many European countries are banning children’s use of social media after Australia led the world in imposing a ban on under-16 children for the first time last December.
“We are introducing this law because we want a childhood where children have the chance to be children,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement.
“Play, friendships and everyday life should not be taken over by algorithms and screens. This is an important measure to protect children’s digital lives.”
The government did not specifically say which applications would be targeted. Since Australia’s ban also includes apps like Meta, Instagram and Facebook, as well as TikTok, Snapchat, Google, YouTube and Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter.
YouTube said in a statement on Friday that it has invested in child safety for more than a decade to ensure its platforms provide age-appropriate experiences that also empower parents.
“This way, we maintain access to learning for millions of people and protect young people from being pushed to less safe places on the Internet,” the company said.
Britain this week announced a complete mobile phone ban for children under 16 in schools.
Notably, Norway will introduce its own social media ban bill for teenagers in parliament by the end of 2026, according to the minority Labor government.
