- Norway plans to restrict access for children under 16 to platforms considered harmful, including Roblox, TikTok, and Snapchat.
- The criteria focus on the design, functions, and content that may affect children's development or safety.
- Technology companies would have to verify age, and harmless services would remain available.
- The measure still needs to be approved by Parliament and is not a ban in effect.
The debate surrounding Roblox for minors is no longer a niche discussion. The Norwegian government has expanded its plan to limit social media use among children and teenagers, indicating that platforms like Roblox, TikTok, and Snapchat could fall under restrictions if deemed harmful. The aim is not simply to ban for the sake of banning, but rather to focus on services that, due to their design or content, may pose a risk to the emotional, cognitive, or physical development of young people.
The Norwegian proposal targets users under 16 and stipulates that technology companies would be responsible for age verification . However, this measure is not yet in effect: the government intends to bring the bill to Parliament before the end of the year, and it still needs to pass through the legislative process. Furthermore, it would not affect all games or messaging services equally, as those deemed harmless would remain available.
Roblox, between game and social network
The case of Roblox is particularly illustrative. It's not just analyzed as a video game , but as a platform that can incorporate features typical of social networks. The Minister for Children and Families, Lene Vaagslid, has warned that there are services presented as games that include social dynamics and illegal advertising aimed at minors. For this reason, the Norwegian government believes that Roblox, with its current characteristics, should be subject to the law if it is ultimately approved.
Risks that the regulations aim to address
The reasons cited by the Norwegian government go beyond a general concern. The text points to harmful content, features that encourage excessive use, illegal advertising, and unwanted contact with strangers . Added to this is exposure to dynamics that can affect the safety or development of minors. The intention is to incentivize platforms to remove these elements and not simply display a warning screen upon entry.
- Harmful content for emotional health or cognitive development.
- Addictive mechanics and features that extend its use.
- Illegal advertising aimed at minors.
- Unwanted contacts with unknown people.
How would the age cut-off be applied?
The age limit being considered by Norway would be set on January 1st of the year in which each minor turns 16. Service providers would have to verify age; the specific method will be decided in the final text. The proposal thus places a central part of access control in the hands of technology companies.
The government has also emphasized that it is not considering an indiscriminate closure of games and messaging apps . Services deemed harmless will remain accessible to minors. The dividing line, therefore, will not be the type of application but rather the risk posed by its design, functions, or the content it hosts. In practice, this necessitates a case-by-case analysis and leaves open the possibility that Roblox could be included or excluded depending on how the platform evolves.
A parliamentary process still open
It's best not to jump to conclusions. The inclusion of Roblox is part of a legislative proposal , not an existing ban. The Norwegian government announced the initiative in April and intended to present it to Parliament before the end of the year. The text still needs to be debated and approved, so its final scope is not yet finalized.
What does this mean for families and platforms?
For families, the message is that the responsibility wouldn't fall solely on parents . The proposal shifts the task of verifying age and reducing risks in their environments to companies. For platforms like Roblox, this could translate into more controls, changes to social features, and a review of recommendation and advertising systems. For minors, the key is that they wouldn't be excluded entirely, but rather that what is considered harmless would be separated from what could be harmful.
The picture that emerges from all this activity is one of a country prepared to regulate children's digital entertainment and review the role of platforms that blend gaming, messaging, and recommendations. Roblox thus finds itself at the center of a debate that still lacks a definitive implementation date or a finalized document. What is on the table, however, is the idea that minors should not be navigating environments designed to capture their attention without filters, and that technology companies should respond with age controls and measures against harmful content or practices.