Norway plans to ban social media use by children under 16

Several European nations seeking to rein in ⁠children's use of social media after Australia took the lead with a world-first ban on under-16s last December.

"We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement.

"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."

The government did not say which ⁠applications would be targeted.

Australia's ban covers Meta apps such as Instagram and Facebook as well as TikTok, ⁠Snapchat, Google's YouTube and Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter.

Norway will introduce its bill in ⁠parliament by the end of 2026, the minority Labour government said.