After Australia, Norway will prohibit social media for those under 16 years old.

      The minority Labour government in Norway, under the leadership of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, revealed new legislation on Friday. The age limit for social media usage has been increased from the previously suggested 15 years during the 2025 consultation, bringing Norway in line with Australia’s pioneering ban that took effect in December. Ireland is also looking into similar measures.

      On Friday, Norway's minority Labour government announced plans to introduce legislation that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, assigning the duty of age verification to technology companies that operate these platforms. Prime Minister Støre articulated the proposal as a means of reclaiming childhood from the influence of algorithms, stating, "We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children." He emphasized that "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 bill is expected to be presented to parliament by the end of 2026.

      This announcement signifies a notable shift from the government's previous legislative stance. When Norway proposed its age limit bill for public consultation in June 2025, the suggested age was 15, not 16. That consultation garnered over 8,000 responses, which Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung noted as reflecting a strong level of public engagement. After reviewing this feedback, the government has now decided to raise the age limit to 16, aligning with Australia rather than the EU’s GDPR minimum age of 13 for data processing consent. Moving from 15 to 16 is not merely a small administrative change; it signals a political decision based on the evidence gathered from the consultation and early enforcement data from Australia, which supports a more stringent standard.

      The comparison to Australia is crucial to the Norwegian government’s approach. Australia implemented a social media ban for users under 16, the first of its kind globally, in December 2025. By February 2026, Australian authorities reported deactivating or removing over 4.7 million accounts belonging to users under 16 since the restrictions took effect. This enforcement record, while not flawless, has provided initial real-world data on the potential effectiveness of such a legislative ban in achieving platform compliance.

      Norway is closely monitoring these developments. Digitalisation Minister Tung previously stated to MLex that age verification "needs Europe to work in step," pointing out that any effective system would require cross-border coordination to avoid circumvention through VPNs or cross-border access.

      The mechanisms underpinning the ban are as critical as the age threshold. According to the proposed Norwegian legislation, social media companies—defined as platforms where users can create profiles, connect with others, and share content without editorial control—will be required to implement effective age verification. The responsibility for age verification will shift from the child, who currently self-reports, to the platform. Norway's existing digital identity system, BankID, is anticipated to play a part in this verification process. Companies that do not comply will face penalties, with the consultation draft suggesting fines of up to NOK 20 million.

      Additionally, the government has proposed raising the GDPR consent age for processing children's data from 13 to 15, a change that each EU member state can individually implement under GDPR Article 8 provisions. Certain categories are expected to be exempt from the ban, such as computer games, e-commerce platforms, and closed groups designated for educational or sports coordination purposes. The Norwegian app Spond, frequently used by sports clubs for activity coordination, was cited by Tung as an example of a specific closed platform that would not fall under the law.

      Determining exemptions is one of the most technically and politically contentious aspects of any social media age ban: the distinction between a "social media platform" and a messaging service, gaming community, or sports coordination tool is less clear-cut than the prohibition suggests.

      Norway is not acting alone in this regard. Ireland has expressed interest in following Australia's example, while France implemented age verification requirements for social media in 2023. The UK’s Online Safety Act, which began implementation in stages through 2024 and 2025, mandates platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content but does not enforce a complete age ban. The European Commission, via the Digital Services Act, obligates platforms to evaluate and mitigate systemic risks to minors without establishing a minimum age requirement.

      As a non-EU member that participates in the EEA, Norway is opting to go beyond the DSA framework, reflecting both domestic political pressures and a broader Nordic inclination to regulate platform behavior more assertively than Brussels.