Denmark proposes ban on social media for people under 15

The Danish government is proposing to ban some social media apps for people under 15, according to the country’s prime minister.

“Mobile phones and social media are stealing our childhood,” Mette Frederiksen told Denmark’s parliament on Tuesday.

A study published by Denmark’s welfare commission earlier this year found that 94% of the country’s young people had a social media profile before they turned 13 – despite this being the minimum age for many social media platforms.

It also found that young people aged nine to 14 spent an average of three hours a day on TikTok and YouTube.

Frederiksen did not provide details on how a ban would be implemented – an issue Australia is grappling with – but there is some public support for her proposal.

In 2024, 50,000 people in Denmark signed a petition calling for the banning of TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

According to Ms. Frederiksen, parents should be able to give permission for their children to have accounts from the age of 13. /Telegraph/