Norway proposes banning social media for under-15s
"We cannot accept a development where screens and algorithms take over childhood," Lene Vågslid, Norway's minister for children and families, said in a
press release
announcing the bill.
"For generations, we have taught our children how to travel safely and look after themselves in our physical surroundings. In the same way, we must protect children in the digital society."
Screen use, she said, could have "negative consequences for children's development, health and security".
In the
white paper
published along with the consultation, the government said it would send a bill out for consultation on how best to set an age limit of 15 years' old for children's use of social media.
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The companies that own social media platforms, it said "must take greater responsibility for ensuring that children and young people do not use social media in a way that harms them."
The government concedes in the white paper, however, that it is currently difficult to enforce age limits on apps, as children simply lie about their age.
"There is no good way to securely verify age today. This means that, for example, the data protection regulations' age limit provision is challenging to enforce," the white paper reads. "Many digital services do not have any verification of the user's age, other than a self-declaration."
The government said it was closely observing the European Commission's moves to develop an age-verification system.
The government also plans to develop stricter regulation on marketing to children and moves to protect them from harmful content, aiming to impose tougher requirements on technology companies, at the same time as taking tougher action to prevent criminals exploiting children and young people online and on social media.
"Children are not a commodity that commercial actors can build their business models around," Norway's digitalisation minister, Karianne Tung, said in the press release.
"We must ensure that services, platforms and marketing are adequately regulated and safeguard children's rights. There will be consequences if providers do not follow the rules."
The government said it was also considering whether to include "digital skills" as a basic skill alongside reading and writing, and whether a new separate subject should be launched in schools where such skills can be taught
"It is absolutely crucial that Norwegian students increase their digital competence, and that they are inspired to explore and learn about the possibilities inherent in technology," Norway's minister of education and training, Kari Nessa Nordtun, said in the release.
"This does not mean that digital tools must be used in all subjects at all ages. The youngest must first and foremost be allowed to concentrate on learning to read, write and do arithmetic."
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