Better Internet for Kids

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

Norway’s digital landscape is characterised by high connectivity, a strong public sector framework, and exceptional infrastructure, with 99% of households having broadband – well above the OECD average. It also ranks second-lowest in the disparity between urban and rural connectivity, supported by a 5G network that covers 95% of the population. Despite these strengths, the ICT sector’s contribution to the national Gross Value Added has declined annually, to 2.7% in 2022, which is significantly below the EU average (OECD 2024). In terms of digital skills, while 51.5% of the population possesses basic digital skills, a significant 22-percentage-point gap exists between those with high and low formal education. 

Safe digital upbringing has become an important political priority in Norway, and several initiatives include plans for follow‑up, monitoring and evaluation, amongst others, in the Strategy for safe digital upbringing and the accompanying Action Plan. A White paper on safe digital upbringing has been published, signalling a clear political commitment and providing an overarching framework for future measures, including knowledge-based policy development and evaluation. The Norwegian Directorate of Health has issued evidence‑based health advice on children and young people’s screen use, including recommendations to help promote balanced use of digital media to safeguard sleep and healthy development. The government has also put forward a legislative proposal to introduce a statutory age limit for the use of social media, with the aim of better protecting children from harmful content, commercial pressure and other online risks.

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

Read the full 2026 edition of the Policy monitor report.

BIK policies

This concerns how national-level policies relevant to the BIK agenda are organised, managed, and supported by evidence and stakeholder input.

Policy frameworks

Policy frameworks describe the overarching goals that shape policies for a better internet for kids. 

In Norway:

• This topic is being comprehensively addressed with children’s protection, empowerment and participation in the digital environment incorporated into national/regional laws, regulations and policies.
• There is one main overarching policy framework that addresses the topic of 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.
• National/regional policies and policy documents explicitly recognise children's rights in the digital environment.

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.

In Norway:

• 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 BIK topics.
• Regular (e.g., annual or bi-annual) 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.
• There is a dedicated long-term research fund/research programme on children and the digital environment.
• Policies undergo systematic and regular monitoring and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of actions in different contexts (for instance, to take account of new technologies or emergent risks).

Policy governance

Policy governance examines how policies are coordinated at the governmental level, whether other implementation bodies are involved in their delivery and coordination.

In Norway:

• One central body (e.g., the central ministry office, public agency, or regulatory authority) is officially mandated to lead and develop policies, guidelines, and programmes relating to children and the digital environment, consulting with other departments as needed.
• A clearly defined, formal coordination mechanism exists (e.g., task force, steering committee) with a clear mandate. It systematically engages all relevant stakeholders and ensures coherent, cross-cutting policy development and implementation related 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).

Stakeholder involvement

Stakeholder involvement enquires how different stakeholders can participate in policy development.

In Norway:

• Stakeholders are involved through various existing groups or platforms across different government branches. While opportunities for engagement exist, they are not centrally coordinated, and stakeholder participation may vary in consistency or influence.
• Members of the public are regularly and routinely consulted as part of the policy development for BIK topics. There is broad, inclusive, and transparent engagement, with feedback actively shaping policy outcomes.
• Children are actively involved in the design of policies related to their participation in the digital environment. There are specially designed structures in place for this purpose.

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

Read the full 2026 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.

Pillar 2 – Digital empowerment

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

Pillar 3 – Active participation, respecting children’s rights

This includes actions that promote young people's active participation and respect for their rights through such activities as fostering innovative and creative safe digital experiences for young people and ensuring they have a say in policies governing the digital environment.

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

Read the full 2026 edition of the Policy monitor report .

BIK+ index 2026: Norway

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 Norway compared to the EU27+2 average. Values are shown in per cent.

Figure 1: BIK+ index 2026: Norway - EU27+2 average comparison

Please note, the data used in this page and the corresponding country profile was collected in January 2026.