Norway has announced plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media, making it one of the latest countries to tighten rules around young users online.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the policy is designed to protect childhood from excessive digital exposure and the influence of online platforms.
“We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children. Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens,” he said.
He added that the measure is necessary to better protect young people in the digital space.
“This is an important measure to safeguard children’s digital lives,”
Under the proposed law, responsibility for enforcing age limits will fall on technology companies, which will be required to implement effective age verification systems before users can access their platforms.
Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, Karianne Tung, stressed that children should not be left to police themselves online.
“I expect technology companies to ensure that the age limit is respected. Children cannot be left with the responsibility for staying away from platforms they are not allowed to use,” she said.
“That responsibility rests with the companies providing these services. They must implement effective age verification and comply with the law from day one.”
The government also noted that existing measures, including national screen-time guidelines and recommendations for mobile-free schools, have already contributed to a decline in the number of children using smartphones and social media.
Norway joins a growing list of countries moving toward stricter digital age limits, alongside nations such as France, Spain, Denmark, while Australia and Turkey have already implemented similar restrictions.
The European Commission has also signaled stronger action on child online safety, recently unveiling an age-verification application expected to roll out across Europe.
