Denmark is set to potentially implement a national age limit for social media use, following new guidelines from the EU Commission. This move is seen as a significant step towards protecting children and young people from harmful online content and addictive behaviors.

Minister for Digitization Caroline Stage (M) hailed the decision as a “breakthrough,” emphasizing the importance of national legislation in regulating children’s access to social media platforms. The new guidelines empower member states to establish their own age restrictions for social media use.

Stage highlighted the ineffectiveness of current age limits on social media, stating that many platforms fail to enforce them adequately. She cited statistics showing that a large percentage of Danish children under the age of 13 have social media profiles, contradicting claims made by social media companies.

The responsibility for enforcing the age limit will fall on the social media companies themselves. The Danish government plans to utilize a future digital wallet app, which will store Danes’ ID cards and other forms of identification, to verify age for activities such as purchasing alcohol or registering on social media.

While the final decision rests with the Parliament, the Minister for Digitization personally advocates for an age limit of 15 years. The government intends to begin legislative work on this issue promptly, with the aim of adopting an age limit when the digital wallet is expected to launch in 2026.