Norway seeks to limit social media for youth
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In Norway, the government intends to implement restrictions on social media use by people under 18, following a recent legal settlement Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, reached in the United States.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated his government expects Meta to apply the same changes to protect Norwegian youth. The proposed limitations include a daily two-hour maximum for Instagram and Facebook, a nighttime shutdown from midnight to 6:00 AM, and hidden like counts on teen profiles.
The government sent a letter to Meta requesting these changes, and Minister of Children and Family Lene Vågslid emphasized the need to protect young users. While the initial focus is on Meta’s platforms, Støre acknowledged that addressing Snapchat and TikTok will require further action. Students at Nydalen Upper Secondary School expressed cautious support for the idea, but also suggested broader, state-level regulation would be more effective.
Recent visits to Kripos, the Norwegian National Criminal Investigation Service, showed officials the harmful effects of social media on children, reinforcing the government’s push for a 16-year age limit. Støre also highlighted the importance of addressing sleep deprivation caused by nighttime screen use, pointing to positive results from schools that have banned mobile phones. Vågslid specifically noted the importance of allowing users to choose non-algorithm-driven feeds.
