DENMARK TO BAN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ALL CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 15 YEARS

Denmark announced new rules on November 7 that forbid minors under the age of 15 from using social media. The move comes after the Australian parliament restricted social media use to those aged 16 and up in December 2024. However, Denmark's government is spearheading the European Union's efforts to limit younger generations' use of social media with one of the most comprehensive measures in the EU.

94% of Danish children under the age of 13 are active on at least one social media platform, including Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, according to Caroline Stage, Denmark's minister for digital affairs, who is speaking about the new law. In addition to that concerning figure, Stage asserts that over 50% of Danes under the age of ten have social media accounts. The nation's historic act aims to mitigate exposure to dangerous content, bullying, exploitation, and other cybercrimes throughout the Internet to address the growing issues around children's poor mental health.

Before attacking tech companies, Stage claims, "The amount of time kids spend online, the amount of violence, and the self-harm that they are exposed to online is simply too huge a risk for our children." "They have a ridiculous amount of money at their disposal, but they just won't invest in our children's safety or in our safety as a whole." "Children and young people have their sleep disrupted, lose their serenity and focus, and suffer rising pressure from digital interactions where adults are not always there," the Danish ministry said, echoing the view. No educator, parent, or teacher can halt this trend on their own.

In a world where screens are everywhere and social media platforms already have their own set of rules, it's unclear how Denmark plans to implement these new laws. For instance, a lot of sites have already prohibited users under the age of 13 from using their services. AI is presently being used by Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to try to confirm user ages from selfies. Nevertheless, these processes aren't always successful; thus, an extra degree of security is necessary. The stage alludes to the use of the nation's national identification system, which is used by almost all Danes over the age of 13. An app that uses this technique for age verification might provide a potential remedy.

Stage continues, "We can't make IT companies use our app, but we can make them make adequate age verification. If they don't, we can enforce through the EU commission and make sure that they are penalised up to 6% of their global income."

The law allows parents to allow their 13- and 14-year-old children to use social media if they pass a particular test. The Danish government has not yet provided more information. "We've offered the digital companies numerous opportunities to take action and address the issues occurring on their platforms. "They didn't do it," Stage says. “So now we will take over the steering wheel and make sure that our children’s futures are safe.”