The Norwegian government said on April 24 that it would present a bill in parliament by the end of the year to ban children from using social media.
The move will make the tech companies that own the sites responsible for verifying their users’ ages.
“We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement. “Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens. This is an important measure to safeguard children’s digital lives.”
The yet-to-be-approved legislation will stipulate that children may access social media only from Jan. 1 of the year they turn 16.
“This means entire school cohorts will gain access at the same time, and students will be at least 15 years old when access is granted,” Stoere said.
The government has not yet specified which applications and websites will be subject to the new law, but has said that tech companies will be responsible for ensuring those under the permitted age requirement do not access their sites.
Norwegian Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance Karianne Tung said companies “must implement effective age verification and comply with the law from day one.”
Other Nations
The proposed law follows a raft of nations proposing similar moves, after the Australian government implemented the first such law in December 2025.
Turkey passed a bill on April 22 to prevent minors under 15 from accessing social media, becoming the latest country to enact such laws.
Under the rules, children under 15 will not be able to register for or access accounts on the platforms, with tech companies expected to introduce effective age-restriction systems, according to state-run news outlet Anadolu Agency (AA).
According to a statement from the Grand Assembly of the Turkish Parliament, social media platforms must provide separate services for children aged 15 and older.
Earlier this month, Greece also committed to restricting social media access to minors.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on April 8 that social media will be banned for children under 15, starting from Jan. 1, 2027.
“Greece will be among the first countries to take such an initiative,” Mitsotakis said in a video message, adding that it was Greece’s goal to push for similar European Union-wide restrictions.
EU Restrictions
EU officials announced on April 15 a new age verification app designed to protect children online, as governments worldwide grapple with how to limit minors’ exposure to harmful digital content without compromising privacy or access.Henna Virkkunen, European Commission executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, said in a statement that the app is technically ready and will allow users to prove their age without sharing sensitive personal data.
“Our solution builds on zero-knowledge proof,” she said, adding that users would remain “in full control” of their data when accessing age-restricted services.
Virkkunen said the approach avoids requiring platforms to scan passports or facial data.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the app as “completely anonymous” in an April 15 statement, adding that users can set it up using a passport or ID card.
“So there are no more excuses,” von der Leyen said. “Europe offers a free and easy-to-use solution that can shield our children from harmful and illegal content.”