Norway seeks social media for under 16s

Norway said on Friday it would present ​a bill in parliament by year-end ‌to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, making technology companies responsible ​for the task of age verification, Reuters reported.

Several ​European nations seeking to rein in ⁠children's use of social media after Australia ​took the lead with a world-first ban on ​under-16s last December.

"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."

The government ​did not ​say which ⁠applications would be targeted.

Australia's ban covers Meta apps such as ​Instagram and Facebook as well as ​TikTok, ⁠Snapchat, Google's YouTube and Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter.

Norway will introduce its bill in ⁠parliament ​by the end of ​2026, the minority Labour government said.