Denmark to ban social media for under-15s
Denmark has announced plans to ban social media use for children under 15, a move the government says is aimed at protecting childhood and improving young people’s mental health.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen unveiled the proposal on Tuesday, October 7, during her address at the opening of parliament’s autumn session. While she did not specify which platforms would be restricted or how the ban would be enforced, the plan has already sparked intense debate both in Denmark and abroad.
Frederiksen said parents could allow limited access for children from the age of 13 under certain conditions. “The cell phone and social media are robbing our children of their childhood,” she told lawmakers.
She pointed to rising social isolation among Danish youth, noting that 60 percent of boys aged 11 to 19 now prefer staying home rather than meeting friends in person a trend she attributed to the growing influence of digital platforms.
The proposed legislation, which has no confirmed timeline yet, is part of Denmark’s broader strategy to address mental health issues and online harms among young people.
The initiative aligns with a growing global movement to regulate children’s access to social media. Australia, for example, became one of the first countries to pass a national social media ban for under-16s in late 2024, though enforcement mechanisms remain unclear. That law applies to major platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
Similarly, in June 2025, Greece proposed introducing an “age of digital adulthood” across the European Union, which would prevent children from joining social media platforms without Parental consent.
Denmark’s announcement makes it one of the first European nations to seriously consider a nationwide under-15 social media restriction, signaling an intensifying policy shift toward protecting minors online.
The Danish government is expected to outline the technical details and enforcement measures of the ban in the coming months, with experts predicting it could influence other EU nations to adopt similar rules.
