The Danish government announced Friday a plan to implement one of Europe's most significant restrictions on child internet use. The country is set to ban the use of social media platforms for all children under the age of 15. This landmark legislative decision reflects growing political concern over the detrimental impact these networks have on youth mental health.
Details of the New Restriction
The proposed legislation establishes a mandatory age threshold for accessing major social media networks. However, the plan acknowledges the role of parental authority by including a specific provision for dispensation. This rule will allow parents to formally grant their children access to certain platforms, lowering the effective minimum age to 13. This aims to balance comprehensive state protection with the discretion of legal guardians.
The measure gained significant momentum following a strong call to action from Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. In her opening speech to parliament last month, the Prime Minister strongly advocated for immediate social media restrictions for children. Her concerns are rooted in a documented rise in mental health issues, including anxiety and decreased self esteem, which many Danish experts link directly to excessive and unsupervised platform engagement among adolescents. By setting a higher legal age limit, the government intends to foster a much healthier environment for its youth.
Setting a European Precedent
Denmark's decisive action is notable as it goes further than general data protection rules found in many other European nations. This legislative step positions Denmark at the forefront of the global debate on how to effectively regulate technology to safeguard public health. The government anticipates that the measure will compel social media companies to implement more robust age verification and enforcement methods across their platforms. This makes Denmark one of the first countries to prioritize adolescent wellbeing over the easy accessibility of global social media giants.
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