|Laws and bans

When does Denmark’s social media ban start?

1 July 2027.

That's if Parliament passes it; the bill goes to the Folketing early next year.

That’s if the Danish Parliament passes the bill. The government published a draft in September and plans to put it to the Folketing early in 2027.

What the draft says. Under-15s would not be allowed to create or use a login-based profile on the large social media and video-sharing platforms. It covers accounts children already have, not just new sign-ups. Children and parents face no fines. The duty falls on the platforms, through the EU’s Digital Services Act.

What changed from the plan. When the parties agreed the ban in November 2025, parents were going to be allowed to let 13- and 14-year-olds on. The draft dropped that, so 15 now means 15.

What isn’t settled. The draft doesn’t name the platforms yet, or say how ages will be checked. MitID, the digital ID most Danes already use for banking and school, has been talked about as the likely route, but it isn’t in the text. So the hard part is still to come.

Why Denmark is doing it. The government says around 98% of Danish children under 13 already have a profile on at least one platform, and almost half of under-10s do. Opening Parliament in October 2025, the Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, said phones and social media were “stealing our children’s childhood”.

How it unfolded.

  • 8 October 2025: the Prime Minister announces the plan in her speech opening Parliament.
  • 7 November 2025: the parties agree an under-15 ban, with a parental opt-in from 13.
  • 7 September 2026: the draft bill is published, without the opt-in. Consultation closed on 5 October.
  • Early 2027: the bill is due in the Folketing.
  • 1 July 2027: the planned start.

Questions like this one, answered every Thursday. Free.

What this means for you right now

If your family is in Denmark, this is what I’d do.

If you were counting on giving a 13- or 14-year-old permission, plan for 15 instead. The opt-in has gone from the draft.

An account opened now would have to close in July 2027 as well, so signing up early doesn’t get round it.

Wherever you are, watch whether a country lets parents give consent. Denmark has taken parents’ consent out, while Spain is putting it in. Most countries will end up on one side or the other.

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Find out where every country stands on social media age limits for children in the tracker.

Checked 13 November 2026.

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