Norway govt plans social media ban for children under 16

Norway's government said it will propose a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 16 and will make technology companies responsible for age verification of young users.

"We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement.

"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," Mr Stoere said.

The bill will be introduced to parliament by the end of 2026, the minority Labour government added.

It comes after Australia's world-first social media ban for under-16s came into force in December.

In February, Australia said more than 4.7 million under-16 accounts had been either deactivated or removed since the restrictions began.

Other countries, including Ireland, are considering following Australia's lead.

Read more: One week off social media: Would an Australia-style ban work here?

At least 14 European countries are considering age-based restrictions on social media access for under-16s.

Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Spain are all exploring legislation or formal consultations on age limits

Earlier this week, MPs in the UK voted to reject a social media ban for under-16s for the third time.

Education minister Olivia Bailey told the Commons that a consultation was the way forward before any plan to tackle social media-linked harms should be implemented.

Members voted 260 to 161 to reject an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which would have raised the age for access to social media deemed harmful to 16 within a 12-month window.

As part of the Bill, ministers are set to gain a flexible power to curb children's social media use with curfews, scrolling limits and restrictions on location sharing.

The Government could also choose to block under-16s from specified platforms.

It is the third time MPs have voted to reject the proposal.

Additional reporting by PA