Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has announced plans to ban social media for children under 15, accusing mobile phones and social networks of 'stealing our children’s childhood'. In her speech at the opening of the Danish parliament, Frederiksen said: 'We have unleashed a monster,' linking social media use to rising anxiety, depression, and concentration difficulties among young people.
The proposed ban would require parental permission for children aged 13 and above to use social media, with the aim of implementing the law as early as next year. Frederiksen did not specify which platforms would be affected but said it would cover 'several' social media sites. She cited figures showing 60% of boys aged 11–19 do not see friends in their free time, and 94% of Danish seventh graders had a social media profile before turning 13.
Denmark's digitalisation minister, Caroline Stage, called the announcement a 'breakthrough', stating: 'We’ve been too naive. We’ve left children’s digital lives to platforms that never had their wellbeing in mind.' The move follows similar actions in Australia, which is banning under-16s from platforms like Facebook and TikTok, and Norway, where the prime minister has proposed raising the minimum age to 15.
This announcement builds on Denmark's February decision to ban mobile phones in all schools and after-school clubs, based on a government wellbeing commission's recommendation that children under 13 should not have their own smartphone or tablet. The commission was set up to investigate growing dissatisfaction among young people.
