(MENAFN) The Danish government has announced plans to prohibit minors under the age of 15 from using several social media platforms, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday.

Addressing parliament, Frederiksen warned about the harmful effects of social media on young people. “Mobile phones… are stealing our children’s childhood,” she stated, adding that “we have unleashed a monster.” She highlighted that nearly all Danish seventh graders, typically aged 13 or 14, already own a cellphone.

Details regarding the scope of the ban, its implementation, or the specific platforms affected have not yet been released.

The announcement follows a government-commissioned wellbeing report showing that 94% of young Danes had social media accounts before turning 13, despite age restrictions on many platforms. The report also found that children aged 9-14 spent an average of about three hours daily on TikTok and YouTube.

A 2025 report by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority revealed that 10% of young users often regretted time spent online, 21% had difficulty logging off, and 29% exceeded their intended screen time on favored platforms.

According to Statista, Facebook remained Denmark’s most widely used social network in 2024 at 83% of the population, followed by Instagram at 65%, Snapchat at 51%, and TikTok at 34%.

Public concern has already led to citizen initiatives: in 2024, a petition backed by 50,000 signatures called for banning TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for minors. Earlier this year, Denmark also restricted mobile phone use in schools following recommendations from the wellbeing commission.

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