Denmark has announced plans to introduce a social media ban for children under the age of 15, in what the government describes as a move to protect childhood and improve young people’s mental well-being.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen unveiled the proposal during her speech to parliament on Tuesday, October 7, at the opening of its autumn session. While she did not specify which platforms would be affected or how the ban would be implemented, the plan has already sparked widespread debate across the country and beyond.
Frederiksen said the government intends to prohibit, though parents would be permitted to grant access from age 13 under certain conditions. “The cell phone and social media are robbing our children of their childhood,” Frederiksen told lawmakers.
She cited growing evidence of social isolation among Danish youth, saying that 60 percent of boys aged 11 to 19 now prefer to stay home rather than spend time with friends in person, a shift she blamed on the increasing dominance of digital platforms.
The proposed legislation, which has no confirmed timeline yet, is part of Denmark’s broader strategy to address mental health issues and online harms among young people.
The initiative aligns with a growing global movement to regulate children’s access to social media. Australia, for example, became one of the first countries to pass a national social media ban for under-16s in late 2024, though enforcement mechanisms remain unclear. That law applies to major platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
Similarly, in June 2025, Greece proposed introducing an “age of digital adulthood” across the European Union, which would prevent children from joining social media platforms without Parental consent.
Denmark’s announcement makes it one of the first European nations to seriously consider a nationwide under-15 social media restriction, signaling an intensifying policy shift toward protecting minors online.
The Danish government is expected to outline the technical details and enforcement measures of the ban in the coming months, with experts predicting it could influence other EU nations to adopt similar rules.
