Denmark will move to ban social media for children under 15, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says, declaring the online platforms are “stealing our children’s childhood.”
Speaking at the opening of the Danish parliament, Frederiksen said her government would propose a ban that also gives parents the option to approve social media use from age 13.
“We have said yes to mobile phones in our children’s lives in the best sense. So they can call home and communicate with their friends,” she said.
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“But the reality is that we have let a monster loose. Never before have so many children and young people suffered from anxiety and depression.”
The Danish prime minister said many children find it difficult to read and concentrate, while some “see things they shouldn’t see” online.
Frederiksen also cited statistics showing that 60 per cent of boys aged 11 to 19 don’t physically see a single friend in their free time over the course of a week. (Frederiksen did not specify a source for the numbers.)
“Do you think that number would be so high if it weren’t for the smartphone?” she asked.
“Mobile phones and social media are stealing our children’s childhood.”
The proposal comes after lawmakers voted to ban mobile phones from primary schools and after-school programs at the end of September, a move recommended by a wellbeing commission set up by Frederiksen in 2023.
Denmark is one of a number of countries that are taking action to limit children’s access to cell phones and social media.
In November last year, Australian lawmakers passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, stipulating that tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent underage users from accessing social media services or face fines of nearly $50 million.
Social media platforms lobbied against the ban, with TikTok running ads touting its potential as an educational tool and others arguing they already take steps to protect children from some kinds of content.
Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, has also proposed a ban for users under 15 years of age and his government launched a public consultation for a new law in June.
