Denmark plans to ban social media for users under 15, as PM says platforms are ‘stealing childhood’

Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, pictured on Tuesday Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix Denmark/Reuters

Denmark will move to ban social media for children under 15, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday, saying the online platforms are “stealing our children’s childhood.”

Speaking at the opening of the Danish parliament, Frederiksen said her government would propose a ban that also gives parents the option to approve social media use from age 13.

“We have said yes to mobile phones in our children’s lives in the best sense. So they can call home and communicate with their friends,” she said.

“But the reality is that we have let a monster loose. Never before have so many children and young people suffered from anxiety and depression,” Frederiksen added.

The Danish