Denmark to ban social media for under-15s

The bill would authorise parents to let their child use social media from the age of 13.

Denmark said Tuesday it planned to introduce a social media ban for children under the age of 15.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did not specify which social media networks would fall under the ban, nor how it would work in practice, as she announced the initiative in a speech to parliament at the opening of its autumn session.

The bill, the timeline of which remains unspecified, would authorise parents to let their child use social media from the age of 13.

“The cell phone and social media are robbing our children of their childhood,” Frederiksen said, arguing that 60 percent of Danish boys aged 11 to 19 preferred to stay home over spending time with friends.

Australia has been a leader in global efforts to prevent internet harm among young people.

In late 2024, its parliament adopted a ban on social media for under-16s, though there are still almost no details on how the measure would be enforced.

Platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube fall under the Australian ban’s remit.

And in June, Greece proposed setting an “age of digital adulthood” across the 27-country European Union, meaning children would not be able to access social media without parental consent.