Norway plans to include games and messaging in under-16 social media ban
Platforms would be assessed for risks to children rather than receiving broad exemptions, while technology companies would have to verify users’ ages.
Norway’s government says it is completing legislation that would bar under-16s from social media and extend restrictions to potentially harmful gaming and messaging services. It plans to put the proposal before parliament by the end of 2026.
Instead of granting the broad exemptions initially expected for games and messaging, the government would assess services according to the risks they pose to children. TikTok, Snapchat and Roblox would likely be covered. Messaging services judged harmless, including apps for school communication, could still be available.
Lene Vågslid, Norway’s minister for children and families, said the legislation was nearly finished. The government says it seeks to shield children from harmful material, addictive design, unlawful advertising and unwanted approaches by strangers. Vågslid also said children’s right to participate was being protected, but the announcement did not detail how. Technology companies would have to check users’ ages using systems that meet European data protection requirements.
The centre-left Labour government’s 2025 draft set the proposed minimum age at 15. It raised that threshold to 16 in April 2026. The legislation has since been through public consultation in Norway and the European Economic Area.
