The Norwegian government has announced plans to introduce a bill in parliament by the end of 2026 that would ban children under 16 from using social media. The proposal was revealed on the government's official website.

“We plan to present the bill to parliament by the end of the year. We are introducing this law because we want children to remain children. Play, friendship, and everyday life should not be pushed out by algorithms and screens. This is an important measure to protect children’s digital lives,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The government has not specified which apps would be affected. The age limit is proposed to take effect from January 1 of the year the child turns 16.

Responsibility for verifying users' ages will fall on technology companies. “Children cannot be held responsible for not using platforms that are banned for them. That responsibility lies with the companies providing these services,” said Digitalisation and Public Administration Minister Karianne Tung.

Norwegian officials first announced plans to ban social media for children two years ago, initially discussing a limit of 15 years.

Australia was the first country to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s, in December 2025. Similar measures are being considered in several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Denmark. Turkey is also planning to restrict access to social media — its parliament approved a relevant bill on April 22.

Source: www.gazeta.uz