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Norway Proposes Under-16 Social Media Ban, UK Rejects It

4/25/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Norway’s Labour government will present a bill by end-2026 banning under-16s from social-media and requiring age verification.
The plan joins Australia and Greece as nations that already restrict under-16 social-media use.
The UK House of Commons voted 260-161 against an under-16 social-media ban for the third time in a recent vote.

History

Historical Context

Adopted in 1989, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child defined a child as under 18. The 2000 Optional Protocol on children in armed conflict, effective 2002, now has 173 parties. Building on this “straight-18” legacy, Norway, as part of its commitment to the convention, proposes a 2026 ban on social-media for under-16s.

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Story summary

Norway’s Labour government will present a bill by end-2026 banning under-16s from social-media and requiring age verification.
The plan joins Australia and Greece as nations that already restrict under-16 social-media use.
The UK House of Commons voted 260-161 against an under-16 social-media ban for the third time in a recent vote.

1 / 2