Government of Norway raised minimum age for using social networks to 15

Published at: 26/10/2024 11:33 AM

The Norwegian government will amend its Personal Data Act to raise the minimum age for the use of social networks to 15 years, and is also working on a system for verifying data, aimed at protecting children and adolescents from their harmful effects.

In this context, the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, publicly acknowledged that it will be “an uphill battle”, however he insisted that politicians must intervene to protect children from the “power of algorithms”.

Gahr Store stressed that platforms are being misused by the industry and could lead users to become “one-sided and peaceful”.

Likewise, Kjersti Toppe, Minister of Children and Family, asserted that “this is the right thing to do. Children's personal data is threatened by commercial interests in many areas. We must protect children's information”

A survey by the Norwegian Media Authority revealed that currently 53% of nine-year-olds, 58% of ten-year-olds and 72% of eleven-year-olds are present on social networks.

Mazo News Team