\n<\/p>\n
OSLO: Norway\u2019s planned social media ban for children will include provisions targeting \u201charmful platforms\u201d, the government said on Monday, naming messaging and gaming \u200bservices Roblox, Snapchat and TikTok among those affected.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Nordic country said \u200cin April it would present a bill in parliament by the end of the year to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, making technology \u200bcompanies responsible for age verification. It did not name any \u200bplatforms at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n Several European nations are seeking to rein \u2060in children\u2019s social media use after Australia took the lead with the world\u2019s \u200bfirst ban on under-16s last December, which included apps such as Facebook, \u200bInstagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.<\/span><\/p>\n Norway\u2019s government said in a statement on Monday that its bill was intended to address the full range of risks children face on social \u200bmedia and that it would affect \u201cmany platforms\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis includes everything from exposure \u200bto harmful content and addictive features to illegal marketing and unwanted contact from strangers,\u201d \u200cChildren and \u2060Families Minister Lene Vaagslid said in the statement.<\/span><\/p>\n The planned legislation provides tech companies with an incentive to remove harmful content and addictive features, she said.<\/span><\/p>\n The ministry went on to define what it called harmful platforms as \u201csocial \u200bmedia that, through \u200bits design, features \u2060or content, poses a risk to children\u2019s emotional, cognitive or physical development or safety.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe government believes that platforms \u200bsuch as TikTok, Roblox, and Snapchat will be covered \u200bby the \u2060law,\u201d it said.<\/span><\/p>\n It did not immediately respond to a question about which other apps could be affected.<\/span><\/p>\n