Norway and Turkey introduce new age restrictions for social media access

The Norwegian government has announced plans to propose legislation by the end of 2026 to ban social media use for children under the age of 16, requiring tech companies to implement strict age verification. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere stated that the measure aims to protect children from algorithmic influence on their daily lives. Separately, the Turkish parliament has approved a law prohibiting individuals under 15 from registering on social media platforms. Under the Turkish legislation, platforms must deploy age verification mechanisms and provide parental tools to monitor screen time and online spending. Turkish regulations also mandate that major platforms respond within one hour to requests concerning harmful content, with the law taking effect six months after its publication in the Official Gazette. Global debates regarding digital safety for minors continue, with EU leaders and officials including Emmanuel Macron discussing further coordination on these restrictions.