Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced plans to introduce a social media ban for children under the age of 15, on October 7, as per media reports. Denmark’s prime minister did not specify which platforms will be banned or how the policy will be implemented in practice. The proposed laws will allow parental consent for Children aged 13 and above to access social media.
Demark’s announcement comes after similar stipulations have been planned by other countries to tighten regulations around children’s online safety. In the year 2024, Australia’s central government had proposed laws to restrict social media for minors. The bill aimed to ban social media access for children under the age of 16, with no exceptions for parental consent or existing accounts.
Under the Australian proposal, social media companies might face fines of up to A$49.5 million (USD 32 million) for failing to comply with strict age verification rules. The law also called for a trial and test of age verification systems, which might involve biometric data or government-issued identification, to prevent underage users from bypassing restrictions.
If such laws are passed, Denmark and Australia would be among the first countries to enforce such stringent regulatory controls on children’s access to social media. Raising significant questions about privacy, enforcement, and the social media protrusion that can impact a child’s safety.
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