Better Internet for Kids

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

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 Iceland:

• This topic is an important and emerging policy priority with children’s online protection, digital empowerment, and digital participation partially covered in national/regional laws, regulations and policies.
• There are separate, dedicated policies that address children and the digital environment (protection, empowerment, and participation).
• The BIK+ strategy is an important influence on policy development on children and the digital environment (i.e., it informs and guides national policies even if they do not directly refer to BIK+).
• Children's rights in relation to the digital environment are an important and emerging policy priority, with specific policies in development on this topic.

Key national policy frameworks are: 

• Netvís – Netöryggismiðstöð Íslands is the Icelandic Safer Internet Centre (SIC IS). It operates as a department within the Icelandic Media Commission, which has a formal agreement to run the EU Strategy for a Better Internet for Children in Iceland. SIC Iceland is recognised by the educational system, parental community, media, and government as a leading authority in all matters related to BIK(+) topics.
• Legislation and law enforcement against child sexual abuse and exploitation is covered under General Criminal Law
• High-quality content online for children and young people is covered under non-statutory policy on Instructions for the Media on the Protection for Children.
• The Act on the Media includes general provisions for awareness raising and empowerment, as well as education and media literacy.
• Iceland's Cyber Security Policy for the years 2022-2037 emphasises that awareness-raising and cybersecurity education programmes will be increased, emphasising appropriate education for the most vulnerable groups. The Minister endorsed this strategy pursuant to Act No. 78/2019 on the Cyber and Data Security of Critical Infrastructure. The strategy is also part of the government’s Electronic Communications Plan.
• The cybersecurity policy emphasises that awareness-raising and cybersecurity education programmes will be increased, emphasising appropriate education for the most vulnerable groups. News media and social media shall be used in a targeted manner.

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

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

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.

• There is a regular (e.g., annual or bi-annual) nationally representative survey specifically focused on children’s digital activity, which informs national policies on this topic.
• Surveys include measures of children’s experiences of risks, harms and digital well-being.
• 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).
• Existing regular national research funding is available for research on children and the digital environment, but this is not explicitly specified.
• Policies are monitored and evaluated but not systematically. It depends on the needs at a particular time or when policies are being considered.

Recent national research studies include:

• The Icelandic Media Commission, in cooperation with the Institute of Education at the University of Iceland, has conducted a survey on media and internet usage and media literacy skills of children and youth between nine and 18. The survey was conducted in both 2021 and 2023. Funding has now been secured for 2025, and the survey is being prepared.
• The Icelandic Media Commission is also a member of the consortium preparing a new Nordic MIL index.
• The Youth in Iceland study (ÍÆ) is carried out by the University of Iceland for the Ministry of Education and Children's Affairs based on Article 12. Youth Act No. 70/2007. The project aims to collect data on the well-being and attitudes of children and young people and make the results available to support policy making.

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

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

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 different ministries with leadership distributed according to the area of specialisation.
• A clearly defined coordination function is in place, involving all relevant stakeholders and encompassing the cross-cutting policy issues relating to children and the digital environment.
• There is a defined national action plan on children and the digital environment with accountabilities such as defined timelines, assigned responsibilities or key performance indicators (KPIs).

• The Icelandic Media Commission (coordinator of the SIC IS) is an independent public authority under the Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs. The Media Commission is responsible for the Media Literacy Network in Iceland.
• The Ministry of Education and Children is the leading ministry in matters involving children and their rights. Furthermore, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Ministry of Justice also have responsibilities relating to children and the digital environment.

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

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

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 policy development for BIK topics.
• Children are listened to directly in the policy development process (e.g., through hearings, consultations, specific surveys) but are not formally involved in decision-making.
• Policy makers actively participate in various EU-leveland other international intergovernmental groups related to digital policies for children.

• The Icelandic Media Commission supports a large national Media and Information Literacy network in Iceland. The role of the network is to facilitate the exchange of information between the parties working on information and media literacy in Iceland and facilitate cooperation between members. Members of the network share knowledge, research, projects and other resources related to the network.
• A government consultation portal is available to increase transparency and allow the public and interested parties to participate in policy-making, regulation and decision-making by public bodies.
• SIC Iceland as part of its work in the Media Literacy Network has consulted the SIC’s Youth Panel, Youth Work Iceland, Children's Ombudsman Youth Council and the National Queer Association of Iceland.

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

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

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. 

Implementing EU laws

• The Icelandic Parliament, the Althing, has still not transposed the provisions of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) 2018 into the Media Act No 38/2011. A draft bill on the implementation of the AVMSD was submitted before the Icelandic Parliament in May 2021 and again in May 2023, but was not deliberated. The bill will be submitted again in the fall. EFTA incorporated the AVMS Directive 2018 into the EEA Agreement with the decision of the EEA Joint Committee on 9 December 2022.

Harmful online content

• As stated in the Icelandic Media Act: From Icelandic Law on Media: “The Media Commission shall promote media literacy, diversity and pluralism in the media, protect freedom of expression and the public's right to information. The Media Commission shall especially promote that the protection of children is respected, according to the instructions of this law.”
• The Helpline (Red Cross Iceland) are available to children to report matters of concern.
• The Office of Children's Ombudsman has been active for 25 years. Children can complain to them, and their messages will be prioritised.

Harmful online conduct

• National/regional laws, regulations or policies in place to protect children and young people from intimate image abuse are covered under the amendment of the General Penal Code, No. 19/1940 (digital sexual violence) and the on amendment of the General Penal Code, No. 19/1940 (sexual privacy).

• Regarding cyberbullying, there are currently no laws or policies addressing this issue.

Age verification

• Regarding age verification, amendment of the law on the media, No. 38/2011 (EEA rules, audio and video media services, social media, etc.) is currently under consideration to address this issue.
• A National ID system is available to individuals under 18. However, there are currently no plans to implement the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI) for minors.

Commercial content

• The Consumer Agency has issued guidelines for advertisements. 

Mental health and well-being

• The Public Health Fund operates in accordance with the Act on the Director of Health and Public Health and the Regulation on the Public Health Fund. The role of the Fund is to support public health work consistent with the objectives of the Act on the Director of Health and Public Health, both within and outside the office, to promote health promotion and prevention. The focus of funding in 2025 is on promoting mental health, well-being and empathy, especially among young people.

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 for online safety education

• Information and media literacy and digital citizenship have been included in the latest curriculum update.
• The Minister of Education established a working group of specialists to scrutinise and make suggestions on how best to manage the use of smartphones in school work.
• A proposal for a bill to ban phones in schools in Iceland is in preparation.  The rules will be drawn up in broad consultation with parents and children, local authorities, school administrators, teachers and other stakeholders, and it is expected that they will be used as guiding criteria for primary schools when establishing school rules on mobile phone use. One of the main objectives is to ensure adequate education about phone use and prevention to counter the possible negative effects it can have in schools.
• The Icelandic Media Commission has made teacher training on online safety one of its priorities. Currently, educational lectures for teachers are free from the Icelandic Media Commission.
• The Icelandic Media Commission offers free educational lectures for children aged nine to 8 years old.  Topics include Information and media literacy; Algorithms and their impact on our use of digital devices; Artificial intelligence; Digital footprint and collection of personal information; Social media, the screen and well-being; Online communication, bullying and harassment; Polarization and information disorder in Icelandic society; Media use by Icelanders; Age ratings on apps and social media; Impact of technology on national security, democracy and public health.

Digital literacy skills to empower young people

• The Icelandic Media Commission and the Icelandic Data Protection Authority went on an educational ‘campaign tour’ in the fall of 2023. Representatives of both regulatory authorities went ‘on tour’ around the country to educate children and teachers in elementary schools all over Iceland on the importance of data privacy, media literacy and children’s online safety. The project is called Netumferðarskólinn (‘Internet Traffic School’) and is still ongoing at the Icelandic Media Commission.

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

• UNGSAFT is the SAFT Youth Council. It is a platform for young people to express their opinions, educate others and make the internet a better place for everyone.
• The Icelandic Media Commission is working on a formal agreement with Samfés, the National Association of Community Centres and Youth Centres in Iceland, to encourage civic engagement.
• In December 2018, Alþingi (parliament) approved changes to the law on the Children's Ombudsman, which aimed to promote the participation of children in the work of the Office and to promote children's participation in social discussion and everything relating to policy-making and decision-making in children's matters at state and local authorities.

Supporting children’s rights

• Iceland is now very active in producing content related to digital rights online in relation to the European Year of Digital Citizenship. We are in the final stages of launching a new question game about digital rights called ‘þú ræður og’ (‘Your choice’).
• ‘Child welfare in a digital world’ was this year’s theme of the National Information and Media Literacy Week in February, organised by the national media literacy network, TUMI.

Digital inclusion

• Both the Internet Traffic School for 6-13 year olds and ‘the algorithm that raises me’ for 14 to 18-year-olds address topics regarding digital inequalities.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for some best practice examples from Iceland.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

BIK+ index 2025: Iceland

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 Iceland 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 2025.