The Danish authorities is proposing a ban on a number of social media apps for under-15s, in accordance with the nation’s prime minister.
“We now have unleashed a monster,” Mette Frederiksen instructed Denmark‘s parliament on Tuesday.
“Cell phones and social media are stealing our youngsters’s childhood.”
Analysis printed by Denmark’s wellbeing fee earlier this yr discovered 94% of the nation’s younger individuals had a social media profile earlier than they turned 13 – regardless of that being the minimal age for a lot of social media platforms.
It additionally discovered 9 to 14-year-olds have been spending a median of three hours a day on TikTok and YouTube.
Ms Frederiksen didn’t give particulars on how a ban could be enforced – a difficulty Australia is grappling with – however there’s some public assist for her proposal.
In 2024, 50,000 individuals in Denmark signed a petition calling for a ban on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
Dad and mom ought to be capable of give permission for his or her youngsters to have accounts from the age of 13, in accordance with Ms Frederiksen.
Earlier this yr, the Danish authorities additionally introduced it could ban cellphones in faculties and after-school golf equipment, which means that the majority youngsters aged between seven and 16-17 can be required by regulation to not convey their telephones into faculty.
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Denmark’s restrictions observe related strikes around the globe.
Within the UK, web and social media corporations now face fines of as much as 10% of income if they permit younger customers to see dangerous content material, beneath sweeping laws the place age restrictions have been positioned on grownup content material.
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The UK authorities has additionally refused to rule out an all-out ban on under-16s on social media.
In Australia, under-16s can be banned from December, with the logistics of the ban at the moment being labored out.
A current examine confirmed {that a} related system to the UK’s age verification might implement the ban within the nation.
In France, a parliamentary fee beneficial final month that youngsters beneath 15 needs to be banned from social media within the nation and there needs to be an in a single day “digital curfew” for 15-18 yr olds.
