1. Proposed Ban: Social Media for Under-15s
- Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced plans to ban social media use for children under the age of 15. Parents would be able to give permission from age 13.
- She warned social media and mobile phones are “stealing our children’s childhood,” citing rising rates of anxiety, depression, concentration issues, and reading problems among young people.
- The plan follows previous Danish policies banning mobile phones in schools and after-school clubs, plus findings from a wellbeing commission that children under 13 often have their own device already.
2. Testing Age-Verification Tools
- As part of compliance with EU Digital Services and child protection goals, Denmark is one of several EU countries piloting a national age-check app to help platforms confirm users’ ages.
- Denmark’s Minister of Digitalisation has stated that tech giants have the capability to implement age verification tools, and that these are increasingly central to the government’s agenda for protecting minors online.
3. Safer Internet Education & Awareness
- Denmark’s Safer Internet Centre is stepping up efforts: during its EU presidency (July-December 2025) it has put child online protection high on the agenda, with educational events, awareness tools, and reporting/helplines.
- Efforts include helping children, parents, teachers become more literate about digital risks and rights.
⚠️ What’s still unclear / concerns
- The government hasn’t yet specified which platforms will be affected by the under-15 ban, or how enforcement will work.
- Questions about how the law will deal with parents’ consent, how age checks will be done, and how privacy will be protected remain open.
Source: The Guardian
