In Denmark, concerns about children’s mental health, screen time, and exposure to harmful digital content have grown louder over recent years.
A government‑appointed Wellbeing Commission released a report in early 2025 that drew attention to how nearly all Danish children in seventh grade already have social media profiles despite many platforms setting 13 as a minimum age.
The same study found that children between the ages of nine and fourteen spend an average of three hours a day on video and social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
These findings, combined with rising rates of anxiety, difficulties in concentration, and worries over children’s ability to read, provided empirical fuel for political leaders calling for stricter regulation.
The Proposed Legislation
Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has proposed legislation to ban social media use for children under the age of 15. Under this plan, parents would have the power to grant permission for their children from age 13 to access social media.
The proposal is intended to cover multiple platforms, though the government has not yet specified exactly which ones will be included or how the ban will be enforced. The bill is still in its early stages, and the timeline for parliamentary debate and implementation remains unclear.
Legal and Policy Foundation
A citizen‑initiative launched in late 2024 gained enough signatures to require parliamentary consideration, calls for banning minors from platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, citing arguments that addictive features in these apps exploit young users.
Complementing that is the push from legal authorities and civil society urging extension of laws around guardianship so that creating a social media profile would require parental consent in the same way children cannot enter contracts without guardians.
Additionally, Danish data protection laws changed at the start of 2025 to raise the age for certain types of processing of children’s data from 13 to 15.
The Rationale
The government frames the proposal as a corrective step aimed at protecting children’s well‑being.
Observations from recent studies are that social media use is associated with increased anxiety, depression, difficulties concentrating, and impaired reading skills among youth.
Prime Minister Frederiksen has argued that mobile phones and social media are “robbing our children of their childhood.”
She has also said that children see things online “that they shouldn’t,” referring to inappropriate content or harmful tendencies pushed by social media algorithms.
The government is warning that unregulated social media exposure before a suitable age reduces free time and contributes to social isolation among young people.
Challenges and Uncertainties
Despite the broad outline, many details remain uncertain. It is not clear how Denmark will legally define “social media” in this context, whether messaging apps, video sharing platforms, or apps with social features are all included.
Enforcement mechanisms have not yet been detailed: how platforms will verify ages, how parental consent will be checked, what penalties there may be for non‑compliance are all open questions.
Some companies have already expressed doubt or resistance, especially in relation to new data protection laws that raise age thresholds, saying they cannot fully enforce them.
It is also unclear when the law could take effect and how it will intersect with European Union law, child rights law, and freedom of speech norms.
Other Countries with the Same Idea
Denmark is not alone in considering or implementing similar restrictions. Australia has recently passed a law banning social media use for under‑16s on several major platforms, setting a precedent in how tough regulation of youth access might look.
Norway, one of Denmark's neighbor has also proposed raising its minimum age for social media access to 15.
Within the EU, there is a broader movement to strengthen rules around children’s rights online, with proposals for age verification systems and stricter oversight for platforms’ design and algorithmic pressures. Denmark’s proposals are part of this larger international trend.
Implications
If enacted, the ban could change the childhood and adolescent experience in Denmark significantly.
Children under 15 without parental permission might face legal or technical barriers to accessing social media. Parents will likely become gatekeepers for social media access.
Tech companies operating in Denmark may need to adjust practices around onboarding new users, age verification, content moderation, and compliance with local data protection rules.
There may also be unintended consequences: children may seek workarounds, platforms may shift design practices, and debates about privacy, freedom of expression, and child rights will intensify.
Teachers, schools and welfare services will also need to adapt to a landscape where digital life for young people is more tightly regulated.
