Norway plans social media age limit of 15

The Norwegian government plans to introduce a minimum age limit of 15 for social media use. Under the proposed law, users would gain access on January 1 of the year they turn 16, ensuring entire school cohorts gain access simultaneously.

The European Commission and the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) have signaled that the proposal does not conflict with the e-commerce directive or the Digital Services Act (DSA), provided the law does not impose direct obligations on service providers. Consequently, the government has removed a previous requirement that would have allowed for fines against companies failing to establish age verification mechanisms for Norwegian IP addresses. The new draft instead offers a recommendation without direct Norwegian sanctioning powers.

To remain compliant with EU and EEA regulations, age verification must be enforced through the DSA, placing the responsibility on providers to verify user ages. The Norwegian government aims to present the new legislation to the Stortinget before the end of the year.