Norway’s government said on Monday that its planned social media ban for children will include provisions aimed at “harmful platforms”. It named the messaging and gaming services Roblox, Snapchat and TikTok among those likely to be affected.
In April, the Nordic country said it would present a bill to parliament by the end of the year. The bill would ban children from using social media until they turn 16 and make technology companies responsible for age verification. At that time, it did not name any platforms. Australia introduced the world’s first such ban on under-16s last December, and several European nations are now seeking to limit children’s social media use.
Scope of the bill and definition of harmful platforms
In a statement, the government said the bill would address the full range of risks children face online and would affect “many platforms”. Children and Families Minister Lene Vaagslid said these risks range from harmful content and addictive features to illegal marketing and unwanted contact from strangers.
She said the legislation would give technology companies an incentive to remove harmful content and addictive features. The ministry defined harmful platforms as social media that, through its design, features or content, poses a risk to children’s emotional, cognitive or physical development or safety.
Platforms named and company responses
The government said it believed TikTok, Roblox and Snapchat would be covered by the law. It did not immediately say which other apps could be affected. Snap Inc, Roblox Corporation and ByteDance, which owns TikTok, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The ministry also said children and young people will still be able to use messaging services and games that are considered harmless.
