Better Internet for Kids

Here, we take an in-depth look at the latest monitoring information for Denmark.

BIK policies

Policy design asks whether evidence and research support BIK-related policies and whether systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating those policies.

Policy frameworks

Policy frameworks describe the overarching approach for a better internet, and establish the underlying goals, principles and guidelines that shape individual policies within this area.

In Denmark:

• This topic is comprehensively addressed with children’s online protection, digital empowerment and digital participation incorporated into national/regional laws, regulations and policies.
• There are separate, dedicated policies which address the topic of children and the digital environment (protection, empowerment, and participation).
• The BIK / BIK+ strategy is not explicitly referred to in national policies but has informed policy development on children and the digital environment.
• National/regional policies and policy documents explicitly recognise children's rights in the digital environment.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on key national policy frameworks in Denmark.

Policy design

Policy design asks whether evidence and research support BIK-related policies and whether systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating those policies.

• Quantitative data on some aspects of children’s digital activity is collected regularly as part of broader surveys.
• Systems are in place at the government level to gather information on children and the digital environment (e.g., dedicated research units, think tanks or commissions).
• Various sources of national research funding are available for research on children and the digital environment.
• There is no systematic monitoring or evaluation of policies on children and the digital environment. However, in Denmark, evaluating political initiatives after a certain period is common practice.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on recent national research studies in Denmark.

Policy governance

Policy governance examines how policies are coordinated at the governmental level, whether other implementation bodies are involved in their delivery, and whether structured mechanisms are available to guide their implementation.

• Policy development sits across a range of ministries, and there is no lead with specific assigned responsibility for developing government on policies, guidelines and programmes relating to children and the digital environment.
• Coordination happens more informally across the different departments and entities that contribute to government policies, guidelines, and programmes regarding children and the digital environment.
• Several different programmes are underway to support children’s online safety and participation in the digital environment. However, these may not be formally organised as action plans.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on key policy governance mechanisms in Denmark.

Stakeholder involvement

Stakeholder involvement enquires how different stakeholders can participate in policy development. Children’s involvement in policy-making is one such key issue. Additionally, international knowledge exchange about children's digital participation is also relevant to this topic.

• Various ad hoc multistakeholder groups exist across different branches of government, in which stakeholders may contribute to policy deliberation and development.
• Members of the public are regularly and routinely consulted as part of the policy development process.
• Children are listened to directly in the policy developmentprocess (e.g., through hearings, consultations, specific surveys) but are not formally involved in decision-making.
• Policymakers actively participate in various EU-level and other international inter-governmental groups related to digital policies for children.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on crucial stakeholder involvement mechanisms in Denmark.

BIK+ actions

Pillar 1 – safe digital experiences

Safe digital experiences refer to actions taken to protect children from harmful and illegal online content, conduct, contact, and risks as young consumers and to improve their well-being online through a safe, age-appropriate digital environment created in a way that respects children’s best interests. 

Responses to EU laws

• National legislation was passed in 2023 to implement the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority has been appointed the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC).

Addressing harmful online content

• While there is ongoing work looking into the definition of harmful content and functions for children online (as well as harmful categories), there is no definition of harmful content on the way that will be included in laws, regulations or policies. It will only be a proposal for harmful categories of content.
• The Danish Radio and Television Board has the authority to order the cessation of activities for video-on-demand services or temporary or final suspension of the company for video-sharing platforms as long as the video-on-demand service or video-sharing platform is established in Denmark.
• According to the Danish Marketing Practices Act § 32 (2), the Consumer Ombudsman may issue an order if an action is clearly in conflict with the Act and cannot be changed by negotiation.
• It is possible for children to complain to the Danish Consumer Ombudsman e.g. concerning advertisement on social media or to the market surveillance authorities in Denmark regarding a product they have purchased online or in physical stores. However, these mechanisms are not dedicated specifically to children.

Addressing harmful online conduct

• National/regional laws, regulations or policies are in place to protect children and young people from intimate image abuse, sometimes called 'revenge porn' or 'the non-consensual sharing of intimate images'. under section 226 of the Danish Criminal Code, any person who takes pornographic photographs or makes pornographic films or similar recordings of a person under 18 years of age with intent to sell or otherwise distribute the material is sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six years.
• Regarding cyberbullying, the Act on Educational Environment states that every student is entitled to a good educational environment, including a mental environment. The Act has a section that focuses on bullying. In this section, it is stated that every school is obligated to have an anti-bullying strategy, including digital bullying. Furthermore, the school is obligated to make a plan of action if a student is being bullied. 

Age verification and digital identity systems

• Denmark has implemented AVMS-directive 2018. This means that video-sharing platforms registered in Denmark are obliged to take appropriate measures to protect minors from content that may impair their physical, mental or moral development. One of these measures can be, if appropriate, establishing and operating age verification systems for users of video-sharing platforms. The same goes for audiovisual media service providers under Danish jurisdiction.
• Traders selling tobacco, nicotine and alcohol products online are obligated to confirm that buyers declare that they are above the set age limit before a sale can go through. Currently, it is sufficient to have a pop-up box where you state whether you are above the age limit. However, in the near future, age verification will be required to be more effective. This could, for example, be done by using the current national eID-solution like MitID, the Danish digital identity system, or by creating a user using a passport or another valid legitimation.
• Minors can access MitID from the age of 13 years. This is to access various self-service solutions, i.e. online banking or tax information for minors in spare time employment. However, the use of self-service solutions is contingent on the solution's own age limit, not the possession of MitID.
• The Danish Consumer Ombudsman has published guidelines regarding marketing towards children and minors, including guidelines and recommendations on labelling of commercial content. The guidelines and recommendations are non-statutory. However, the guidelines have been negotiated with industry organisations and other relevant actors and are an expression of best practice. The guidelines explain how the Consumer Ombudsman interprets the laws under the institution's supervision.

Pillar 2 – digital empowerment

Digital empowerment incorporates actions so that all children, including those in vulnerable situations, acquire the necessary skills and competences to make sound choices and express themselves in the online environment safely and responsibly.

Supports in formal and informal education

• The Digitisation Strategy addresses the strengthening of children's and youths' digital competences, i.e., by proposing a subject on technology understanding in primary education.
• The National Agency for Education and Quality has provided recommendations for the use of screens in primary schools in February 2024. This initiative is designed to ensure positive online environments in primary schools and the appropriate use of screens (computers, mobile devices, and interactive boards), contributing to high-quality teaching and student learning.
• To ensure good support for technological understanding in public schools, an initiative will be launched to develop further the new professional field in teacher education, including competence development of teachers in teacher education, which can strengthen the research, knowledge and teaching environment.

Empowering through digital skills

• The independent Danish Media Council is part of a national project on media literacy for children and young people aged 5 to 25, especially those in vulnerable positions. The Danish Ministry of Children and Education funds the project.
• The political agreement from 2021 strengthening the digital formation of children and young people contained an initiative to strengthen the central communication effort on how children, young people, and parents can deal with offensive behaviour on the internet.
• On the Ministry of Children and Education's teaching portal, there is free teaching material that consists of four handbooks focusing on critical thinking in teaching. The material aims to give children and young people insight into how the internet works and to support the dialogue about how one should behave online with consideration.

Pillar 3 – active participation, respecting children’s rights

Active participation, respecting children’s rights, refers to actions which give children and young people a say in the digital environment, with more child-led activities to foster innovative and creative safe digital experiences.

Active participation

• Educational environment representatives are pupils in primary and lower secondary schools who ensure the perspectives of pupils are represented in the schools' efforts against bullying and to contribute to raising awareness of children’s rights. Additionally, student councils have the right to choose a student as an educational environment representative who collaborates with the school's management, school board, and municipal council. Involving students ensures the practical implementation of democratic values.
• The Association of Danish Pupils (DSE) is a permanent participant in the forum "Sammen om Skolen" (“Together for the School”) ) further raises awareness about children's and youth's perspectives, interests, and rights in primary schools regarding a positive learning environment, both physically and online. The parties involved in "Sammen om Skolen" contribute to raising awareness about children’s rights and the decision-making process regarding public school policies and policy development.

Inclusivity

• The student council at the local school ensures the inclusion of various children's perspectives. Student councils can be formed in schools with grade levels above the 5th grade, which allows for the inclusion of different ages and gender. The composition of the specific student council is based on voluntarism. If the pupils do not form a student council, the principal of the school must encourage them to do so. In this way, children and young people can directly influence their school policy through the student council.

Digital creativity

• The Danish Media Council is developing a quality label for children's content as a result of the Danish Media Agreement. The label's purpose is to promote content with positive values and a certain quality for children.
• Also, pursuant to Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) Art. 7a and the Danish Media Agreement, appropriate prominence will ensure the visibility of Danish public service media, which will increase the visibility of positive digital content and services for the entire population, including children. 

BIK+ index 2024: Denmark

The BIK+ index has been developed to provide an aggregated at-a-glance overview of the levels of implementation across the two dimensions, BIK policies and BIK+ actions, in Denmark compared to the EU27+2 average. Values are shown in per cent.

Please note, the data used in this page and the corresponding country profile was collected in February 2024.