In its Oct. 19, 2026 update, Norway’s government says TikTok, Roblox and Snapchat are likely to fall under its proposed under-16 social media limit. Harmful games and messaging services could also qualify under the revised, risk-based scope, according to the government’s update.
How the risk test could reach games and messaging
The government says the proposal would assess whether a service’s design, features or content pose risks to children’s emotional, cognitive or health development, or their safety. That test could extend the proposal beyond conventional social platforms to games and messaging services that meet the criteria.
For a separate look at child-safety measures in games, NeoTeo’s report on Australia’s eSafety findings compares four gaming platforms.
The cutoff follows the calendar year
Under the proposal, access would begin on Jan. 1 of the calendar year a child turns 16, rather than on their birthday. The government says this would let school cohorts gain access together, when children would be at least 15. The government’s April 24 notice describes the proposed cutoff.
Service providers would be responsible for effective age verification and could choose how to carry it out, subject to privacy and GDPR requirements. Individual commenters in r/privacy and r/worldnews raised concerns about anonymity and identity exposure; one suggested an external yes-or-no age check.
The government links enforcement obligations to Norway’s implementation of the EU Digital Services Act in national law and says it expects providers to comply from day one. It plans to submit the bill to the Storting, Norway’s parliament, by the end of 2026.
