A newsletter from Nordicom at the University of Gothenburg. Editor: Tobias Lindberg, researcher at Nordicom |
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Nordic governments are considering stricter age limits for social media use by children. Norway plans a 16-year age limit for platforms such as TikTok and Instagram from 2027. Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland are also discussing tighter rules, while Finland already recommends no social media use for children under 13. Norway is meanwhile reviewing VAT rules for digital news media and proposing stronger copyright protections. A Finnish report warns that reduced reading of printed books could weaken literacy skills. That and much more (including several reports highly relevant to media policy) in this issue of Nordic Media Policy. |
Nordic governments consider stricter age limits for social media The Norwegian government plans to present legislation on a minimum age requirement for children on social media before the end of the year, with the law expected to enter into force in 2027. Under the proposal, the use of platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok would not be permitted in Norway until a child turns 16. The proposed legislation would also place responsibility on technology companies to verify the age of young users when they log in. Ahead of Sweden’s general election in September, six of the country’s eight parliamentary parties say they are open to legislation introducing an age limit for social media use, according to Lilla Aktuellt. The Swedish government has also recently tasked the Public Health Agency with examining the possibility of introducing an age limit for smartphones, SVT writes. The agency has also been asked to assess the advantages and disadvantages of such a measure. An interim report is due on 30 June. Finland issued stricter recommendations on children’s use of digital devices earlier this year, including guidance that children under 13 should not use social media or smartphones. In Iceland, a parliamentary resolution was put forward at the end of last year proposing that the age limit for social media use be raised from 13 to 15 or 16. In Denmark, politicians are working to raise age limits and introduce stronger online protections for children. Under a 2025 political agreement on “digital child protection”, the Danish government has proposed raising the minimum age for social media use to 15. | Norway probes news VAT reform A majority in the Norwegian Parliament’s Finance Committee supports a proposal to ask the government to clarify the cost of introducing a platform-neutral VAT exemption for news and current affairs media, according to Journalisten. The proposal calls on the government to calculate the cost in consultation with the industry and examine how such a scheme could be legally defined. Today, text-based digital and print news is exempt from VAT, while electronic audio and video content is subject to the standard 25% rate. | IP to strengthen Sweden’s innovation capacity The Swedish government says that a more targeted approach to intellectual property (IP) will strengthen the country’s competitiveness. It has therefore decided to prioritise future efforts related to the strategic management of intangible assets, improve knowledge of IP, and enhance dialogue between stakeholders as well as coordination within the Government Offices. These priorities are outlined in a new ministry report. | Norway proposes new copyright rules The Norwegian government has submitted a bill (Prop. 41 LS 2025–2026) to parliament proposing a range of amendments to the Copyright Act. The proposal includes measures aimed at strengthening the position of rightsholders in negotiations over the use of rights, including provisions designed to ensure greater transparency in the use of those rights. It also puts forward rules to regulate platforms that offer user-uploaded content sharing services. Under the proposal, such providers would be required to take greater responsibility for ensuring that content on their services is properly cleared with rightsholders. | Major staff cuts at NRK and SVT Both Norway’s NRK and Sweden’s public service broadcaster SVT are facing significant cost-cutting measures. NRK is set to reduce its workforce by between 300 and 400 full-time equivalent positions over the next four years, with 150 roles expected to be cut within the next two years, according to VG. In Sweden, SVT has announced plans affecting 141 positions as it seeks to cut costs by 32.6 million euros. The savings programme will also see some programmes put on hold, fewer SVT apps, and an increased focus on the SVT Play streaming service. SVT also plans to reduce administrative costs and increase automation. Redundancy notices have been issued in Stockholm, Umeå, Gothenburg, and Växjö. | |
Nordic media policy bulletins | New reports and statistics on the Nordics | Don't forget our EU newsletterDid you know that Nordicom has another newsletter about the media policy sector in the EU? It is called European Media Policy. |
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About the newsletter
The newsletter Nordic Media Policy reports on media policy developments in the Nordic countries and at the Nordic level. It presents new legislative proposals, parliamentary debates, and new media policy decisions and initiatives. The newsletter also draws attention to new reports and studies in the media field from the Nordic countries. Nordic Media Policy is published with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Editor
Tobias Lindberg, researcher at Nordicom
tobias.lindberg@nordicom.gu.se Publisher
Nordicom University of Gothenburg
PO Box 713
SE-405 30
Gothenburg
Sweden
www.nordicom.gu.se
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