Denmark plans to ban access to social media for children under 15

The Danish government announced a deal on Friday to ban access to social media for anyone under the age of 15, increasing pressure on big tech platforms as concerns grow that children are being drawn too far into a digitized world of harmful content and commercial interests.

This decision would give certain parents – after a specific assessment – ​​the right to allow their children to access social networks from the age of 13. It wasn’t immediately clear how such a ban would be enforced: Many tech platforms already block pre-teens from signing up. Officials and experts say such restrictions don’t always work.

Such a move would be one of the most radical steps ever taken by a European Union government to limit social media use among adolescents and young children, raising concerns in many parts of an increasingly connected world.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Caroline Stage, Denmark’s Minister of Digital Affairs, said that 94% of Danish children under the age of 13 have a profile on at least one social media platform, and more than half of children under the age of 10 have one.

“The amount of time they spend online – the amount of violence and self-harm they are exposed to online – is simply too great a risk for our children,” she said, while praising the tech giants as “the biggest companies we have. They have an absurd amount of money at their disposal, but they are simply not willing to invest in the safety of our children, or the safety of all of us.”

No rush to legislation, no loopholes for tech giants

Stage said a ban would not take effect immediately. Lawmakers allied on the issue, from across the political spectrum and who make up the majority in Parliament, will likely take months to pass relevant legislation.

“I can assure you that Denmark will hurry, but we will not do it too quickly because we need to make sure that the regulations are correct and that there are no loopholes that the tech giants could fall through,” Stage said. His ministry said the pressure from the tech giants’ business models was “too massive.”

This follows a decision in December in Australia, where Parliament adopted the first global ban on social media for children — setting the minimum age at 16 years.

This subjected platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit,

Danish authorities have not specified how such a ban would be enforced in a world where millions of children have easy access to screens. But Stage noted that Denmark has a national electronic identification system – almost all Danish citizens over the age of 13 have such an ID – and plans to implement an age verification app. Several other EU countries are testing such apps.

“We can’t force the tech giants to use our app, but what we can do is force the tech giants to do proper age verification, and if they don’t, we can enforce the law through the European Commission and make sure they are fined up to 6% of their global income.”

Aiming to protect children from harmful content online

Many governments have sought ways to limit the harmful impacts of online technologies, without neglecting their promise too much. Stage said Denmark’s legislative efforts “are not aimed at excluding children from anything digital” but at keeping them away from harmful content.

China – which manufactures many of the world’s digital devices – has set limits on online game time And smart phone time for children.

The Paris prosecutor’s office announced this week the opening of an investigation into allegations that TikTok allows content inciting suicide and that its algorithms can encourage vulnerable young people to commit suicide.

“Children and young people experience disrupted sleep, lose peace and concentration and experience increasing pressure from digital relationships in which adults are not always present,” the Danish ministry said. “This is a development that no parent, teacher or educator can stop alone. »

The EU’s Digital Services Act, which came into force two years ago, bans children under 13 from having accounts on social networks like TikTok and Instagram, video-sharing platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and sites like Reddit and Discord, as well as AI companions.

Many social media platforms have for years banned anyone 13 or younger from signing up for their services. TikTok users can verify their age by submitting a selfie which will be analyzed to estimate their age. Meta Platforms, parent company of Instagram and Facebook, says it uses a similar system for video selfies and AI to help determine a user’s age.

TikTok said in an email that it recognized the importance of Denmark’s initiative.

“At TikTok, we’ve consistently built a strong track record of trust and safety, with more than 50 pre-built safety features for teen accounts, as well as age-appropriate experiences and tools for guardians like Family Pairing,” a tool for parents, guardians and teens to customize safety settings.

We look forward to working constructively on solutions that apply consistently across the industry,” he adds.

Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the AP.

“We have given the tech giants so many opportunities to stand up and do something about what is happening on their platforms. They have not done it,” said Stage, the Danish minister. “So now we’re going to take the wheel and make sure our children’s future is secure.”

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AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan contributed to this report.