Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on April 24 that the government will present a bill to parliament by the end of 2026 requiring technology companies to verify the age of users at login and prohibiting social media access for children under 16.
The proposed legislation is intended to address concerns about children’s digital lives and exposure to online platforms. “We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children. Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens. This is an important measure to safeguard children’s digital lives,” Gahr Støre said, according to a press release published on the Norwegian government’s official website.
The bill will require technology companies to verify user ages at login, with the age limit applying from January 1st of the year a child turns 16. Norway said it is among the first countries in Europe to present such legislation, while France, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal are considering similar measures, according to the Norwegian government.
Jonas Gahr Støre has served as Prime Minister of Norway since October 2021 and leads the Norwegian Labour Party. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2012. The Norwegian government said that 75 percent of the population supports electronic age verification for social media.
Other countries have enacted similar restrictions. The Australian eSafety Commissioner said that 4.7 million under-16 accounts were removed or restricted by mid-December 2025 after Australia enacted a comparable ban in December 2025. The Federal Trade Commission issued a policy statement in February providing enforcement discretion for operators collecting data solely for age determination if they do not retain it longer than necessary. Persona provides third-party age verification services without exposing full identity details or using data for artificial intelligence or model training, according to the Australian eSafety Commissioner.
