Norway Proposes Age Verification Law for Children on Social Media
Summary
The Norwegian government plans to introduce legislation requiring age verification for children accessing social media platforms, with tech companies responsible for implementing verification measures. Datatilsynet supports protecting children from potential harm but cautions that verification solutions must adequately safeguard privacy, warning that requiring extensive personal data (such as passport photos or biometrics) without proper safeguards could expose users to data misuse. The proposed law would require all social media users to verify their age to access services, which Datatilsynet notes represents an intrusion into privacy for all users, not just children.
“Vi mener at det er en risiko hvis teknologiplattformene selv skal velge hva slags aldersverifiseringsløsning de vil bruke.”
Social media platforms operating in Norway should track this legislation through enactment and prepare data protection impact assessments for any age verification systems. Datatilsynet's emphasis on specifying how verification must occur rather than leaving method selection to platforms suggests the final law may impose technical requirements — platforms should engage during any remaining consultation period to shape workable requirements.
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GovPing monitors Norway Datatilsynet News for new data privacy & cybersecurity regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 6 changes logged to date.
What changed
The Norwegian government is preparing to introduce legislation mandating age limits for children on social media platforms. The bill would place the responsibility for verifying users' ages on tech companies, requiring them to implement age verification systems at login. Datatilsynet submitted a consultation response in 2025 expressing concerns that the age verification solutions were not sufficiently examined, and continues to advocate that the law should specify how verification must occur rather than allowing platforms to self-select their own methods.
Technology companies operating social media platforms in Norway should monitor this legislative development and prepare for compliance obligations. Platforms should also consider data minimization principles for any age verification systems they may implement, as Datatilsynet emphasizes that only necessary information should be collected, with adequate security and strict deletion mechanisms to prevent data from being diverted or repurposed for other uses.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Personvern ved aldersverifisering i sosiale medier
Regjeringen har sendt ut en pressemelding om at de vil legge frem et nytt lovforslag om aldersgrenser for barn i sosiale i løpet av året. Datatilsynet støtter intensjonen om å beskytte barn mot mulige skadevirkninger, og forventer at verifiseringsløsningene ivaretar personvernet på en god måte.
I regjeringens pressemelding (regjeringen.no) står det at det er tek-selskapene som får ansvaret for å verifisere alderen til unge brukere ved innlogging.
– Vi mener at det er en risiko hvis teknologiplattformene selv skal velge hva slags aldersverifiseringsløsning de vil bruke. Loven bør si hvordan verifiseringen skal skje for å sikre godt personvern, sier Line Coll, direktør i Datatilsynet.
Aldersverifiseringsløsninger krever ofte omfattende informasjon, som for eksempel bilde av pass eller biometri. For å unngå at denne type data kommer på avveier eller blir brukt til nye formål er det blant annet viktig å kun samle inn nødvendige opplysninger, ha god nok sikkerhet og strenge slettemekanismer.
Tydelige tilbakemeldinger i høringsrunden
Da lovforslaget var på høring i 2025, sendte Datatilsynet et høringssvar hvor vi pekte på at løsningene for aldersverifisering ikke var godt nok utredet.
– Forslaget til krav om aldersverifisering er ment å innebære at alle som bruker sosiale medier må verifisere sin alder for å få tilgang til tjenestene. Dette er et inngrep i personvernet til alle som bruker sosiale medier – ikke bare barn. Vårt syn er at konsekvensene ved forslaget om aldersverifisering ikke er grundig nok utredet, sa Line Coll den gangen.
Les mer om Datatilsynets høringsinnspill til forslaget som var på høring i 2025.
Pressekontakt
Tobias Judin
Tobias Judin
seksjonssjef for internasjonal seksjon
Kontor: (+47) 22 39 69 47 E-post: Publisert: 24.04.2026
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