Denmark moves to ban social media access for anyone younger than 15

The government of Denmark announced an agreement Friday to ban access to social media for anyone under 15, amid ongoing concerns that young people are getting too rapt in an online world of potentially harmful content.

“As one of the first countries in the EU, Denmark is now taking a groundbreaking step towards introducing age limits on social media,” Denmark's digitalization ministry said in a statement. “This is done to protect children and young people in the digital world.”

The statement also reads: “As a starting point, children under the age of 15 should not have access to platforms that may expose them to harmful content or harmful features,” the statement said.

The ministry did not say which social media platforms are affected or how the ban will be enforced. However, the agreement includes exceptions if parents believe their child should have access to social media at an earlier age, as young as 13, according to Deutsche Welle, Germany's international public service broadcaster.