According to the latest reports, Norway is planning to raise the minimum age for using social media to 15 years old to protect children from the influence of social media algorithms. The announcement was made by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on October 23. This decision is part of Norway’s ongoing efforts to challenge big tech companies, which the government believes are negatively impacting children’s well-being.
The Challenge of Protecting Children
Prime Minister Gahr Store agreed with the statement that going against tech companies will always be a challenge but noted that it is a fight that needs to be waged for the sake of the kids. He said that social networks not only violate users’ data but also make children overweight and inactive. The Prime Minister has said that it is time politicians intervened to protect the youth from such influences.
The Current Position of Norway
Currently, the age limit for social media usage in Norway is 13. However, according to a study conducted by the Norwegian media authority, many of the young kids are already using social media. Research also shows that 58% of subscribers aged, nine years old and 72% aged 11 years are active users of social media even though the social media services forbid them. For this reason the government has proposed altering the Personal Data Act. According to the new law, users will have to be at least 15 for social networks to be able to process their data. They are also actively developing a realistic solution for age verification that would help prevent children from joining social media.
These changes will shock people into realizing that something needs to be done to shield children from the negative impacts of the internet, the Prime Minister was quoted by a local newspaper as saying. Although he realizes that through social networks, lonely children can communicate, he believes that algorithms are too dominant in what children can see and feel on the Internet. In his view, this is likely to make children absorb particular ideas and become less active since social networks immediately grab their attention.
According to Kjersti Toppe, Norway’s Minister for Children and Families, the new rule will also assist parents. She said that many parents desire their children to stay away from social media but they are unable to tell the child no. The new rules would help everyone, especially parents, explain to their children where the line is crossed. The government is also trying to find out how to enforce these restrictions and limit human rights like connecting the social media account to the bank account to check the account holder’s age.
A Global Concern
Norway isn’t the only country worried about children’s use of social media. Australia is also planning to introduce a social media ban for younger teens and children. Although they haven’t set an exact age limit yet, it is expected to fall between 14 and 16. In France, a trial ban on mobile phones in schools is already in place for students up to age 15. If successful, it might be extended nationwide by January.
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