Denmark moves to ban social media access for children under 15
Denmark’s government has announced plans to prohibit children under 15 from using social media, allowing limited parental consent for ages 13-14, as concerns mount over youth mental health and digital exposure.
- The Danish government has agreed to a political deal to ban access to social media for children under the age of 15, while permitting parental consent for children aged 13–14 in certain cases.
- The initiative is motivated by rising concerns around youth mental health, including anxiety, depression, concentration issues and exposure to harmful online content.
- Implementation details remain to be finalised: platforms to be affected are not yet fully specified, and how the law will be enforced is still under discussion.
On 7 November 2025 the government of Denmark announced a political agreement to ban access to social media for anyone under 15 years old, with an exception that allows parents to authorise usage from age 13 in specific cases.
According to the Ministry of Digitalisation, the move covers “certain” social media platforms, although the exact list of platforms has not been published.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, in a speech to parliament, warned that mobile phones and social media are “stealing our children’s childhood”. She cited research showing high usage of social media among children, including 94 % of Danish children under 13 reportedly holding at least one social-media account.
Digital Affairs Minister Caroline Stage Olsen added that the business models of major tech platforms pose significant risks to children’s wellbeing, saying the government was “drawing a line in the sand”.
Why the policy is being introduced
The key rationale for the move centres on concern for children’s mental-health, safety and digital wellbeing. Officials argue that early and intensive exposure to social media can disrupt sleep, concentration, reading and free play.
A report cited that Danish youngsters spend on average about 2 hours 40 minutes per day on social media.
By placing an age floor, the government hopes to reduce exposure to harmful content, addictive design features and commercial pressure on children.
Implementation and unresolved details
Despite the high-level announcement, major details remain unsettled:
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Platforms impacted: The government has not specified exactly which platforms will be subject to the ban or whether it will consider all social networks, video platforms or messaging apps.
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Enforcement mechanisms: It is not yet clear how age-verification will work, how parental consent will be documented, or how tech companies will be held to account.
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Timeline: Legislation is still months away; the agreement is political rather than legal, and the exact start date has not been fixed.
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Parental exception: The rule allows that children aged 13–14 may gain access with parental permission after “specific assessment”. The criteria for such assessment have not yet been defined.
International context
Denmark’s push follows similar steps in other jurisdictions: for example, Australia has introduced a ban on social-media access for children under 16.
Within the European Union, the regulatory baseline under the Digital Services Act prohibits creation of accounts for children under 13 without parental consent, but Denmark’s age-15 threshold would be more restrictive.
Potential impacts and challenges
If implemented effectively, the policy could become a benchmark for child protection online, offering a model for age limits and parental consent in the digital realm.
However, critics question whether enforcement is practicable given the global, multi-device, multi-platform nature of social media. Age-verification tools can be circumvented, and children may still access platforms via shared devices, VPNs or false credentials.
Additionally, concerns arise about children’s social inclusion, digital literacy, and whether preventing access entirely might push them toward less regulated platforms where risks may be higher.
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