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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/norway-could-introduce-age-limits-on-social-media-platforms/

Norway

Norway could introduce age limits on social media platforms

Updated April 10, 2024, Published April 5, 2024 – By Editorial staff
56 per cent of Norway's 10-year-olds are on social media.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Norwegian government is now looking at tightening age regulations on social media. They are also proposing the introduction of BankID, or a similar electronic identification system, in order to be able to log in to the platforms at all.

Most social media platforms already have an age limit of 13 years, but despite this, many younger children still use the platforms. The Norwegian Media Authority's Child and Media Survey from 2022 shows that almost half of Norway's nine-year-olds use social media, and that the proportion is 56 per cent for ten-year-olds.

– We see that children well below the age of 13 spend an alarmingly high number of hours on social media, and that age limits are largely ignored, said minister of education, Kari Nessa Nordtun, to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

The ministry of children and families is currently working together with several other ministries to see how the age limit on social media can be more strictly regulated. The government will present a white paper on safe digital childhood in the autumn.

Snapchat and TikTok

– In connection with this, we are looking at how we can introduce an age limit, in addition to other measures to better protect children, says the minister for children and families, Kjersti Toppe.

BankID or other similar verification tools could be a possible solution to prevent too young children from logging on to social media sites such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok.

– It is too early to say how this will be done and whether it will require a change in the law, Nordtun explains.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/more-children-born-in-norway-for-second-consecutive-year/

Norway

More children born in Norway for second consecutive year

Published today 1:42 pm – By Editorial staff
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Birth rates in Norway are rising for the second consecutive year after reaching a historic low in 2022, according to new statistics from the Medical Birth Registry. Despite the increase, too few children are still being born.

Last year, 54,472 children were born in Norway, representing an increase of 3.6 percent compared to the previous year. This stands in stark contrast to 2022, when the country had the lowest number of births in many decades.

— Whether this is a trend, we are uncertain, but more children are being born now than in previous years, says senior physician Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

Larger birth cohorts reaching parenting age

Thomsen points to a demographic explanation. Around 40 years ago, birth cohorts in Norway were small, but those born in the late 1980s and into the 1990s were significantly larger. It is this generation that is now at the age when many choose to start families.

— It may be that they have now decided to have children, says Thomsen.

Despite the increase, only 1.44 children are born per woman in Norway. For the population to replace itself, approximately 2.1 children per woman are required. The average age for first-time mothers is now almost 32 years.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/norwegian-buyers-rush-to-purchase-electric-cars-before-the-new-year/

Norway

Norwegian buyers rush to purchase electric cars before the New Year

Published October 31, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Norway is a world leader when it comes to electric cars. The VAT exemption, which has driven the development, is now being phased out.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Car dealers in Norway report sharply increased demand since the government proposed lowering the VAT exemption threshold for electric cars. Many buyers therefore want to register their cars before the turn of the year.

Norway has had a VAT exemption for certain electric cars for an extended period, aimed at enabling more Norwegians to invest in one. In its budget proposal for next year, which the Norwegian government presented in early October, it now wants to lower the threshold for VAT exemption on electric cars.

Currently, the threshold for VAT exemption on an electric car is 500,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately €42,000), but the proposal would lower it to 300,000 Norwegian kroner (approximately €25,000). If the change is approved, it will take effect on January 1, 2026, with the goal of completely eliminating the VAT exemption by 2027.

— We have had a goal that all new passenger cars should be electric by 2025, and with an electric car share of 95 percent this year, we can say the goal has been achieved in practice. Therefore, it is time to phase out the benefits, said Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg in a press release, according to alltomelbil.se.

In practice, this means that an electric car in the price range of €42,000 will become approximately €4,200 more expensive after the turn of the year. The only way to avoid the new fee is to have the car registered before the proposal takes effect.

Importing from Sweden

Following the announcement, the country's car dealers now report increased demand for electric cars. Volvo Car Norway describes the situation as a period of "very strong demand" from customers who want to secure a car before the change takes effect.

— We are now working to meet the demand, including by sourcing cars from other markets, such as Sweden, says Henrik Juel Teige, press contact at Volvo Car Norway, to Norwegian Motor.

Ford and Tesla in Norway also confirm the trend and say that more customers are asking questions and placing orders. The importer Harald A. Møller, which represents Audi, Cupra, Skoda and Volkswagen, has chosen to meet the demand with a special VAT guarantee – customers who enter into a new agreement with the company from October 28 until next year's state budget is approved will be covered for any VAT increase.

— To handle the great uncertainty we see, we are prepared to cover any VAT increases for customers who order a new car from our brands now, before next year's state budget is approved, says CEO Ulf Tore Hekneby.

The final decision will be made in December when the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) votes on next year's budget.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/telenor-faces-lawsuit-over-human-rights-abuses-in-myanmar/

Norway

Telenor faces lawsuit over human rights abuses in Myanmar

Mass surveillance

Published October 7, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Telenor's information chief calls the demand a "PR stunt" and argues that the matter has already been handled by police and the judicial system.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Over a thousand people may have been persecuted, tortured, arrested or killed when Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor handed over sensitive customer data to the military junta in Myanmar. Now victims and relatives are threatening to sue and demanding millions in damages.

On Monday, Telenor's management received a notice of lawsuit where the compensation claim is motivated by the telecom company illegally sharing sensitive personal data with Myanmar's military junta.

"We ask for a response on whether the basis for the claim is disputed as soon as possible, but no later than within two weeks", the letter stated.

Behind the claim stands the Dutch organization Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (Somo) together with several Myanmar civil society organizations.

After the military coup in February 2021, the junta forced telecom operators like Telenor to hand over sensitive information about their customers. The information was then used to identify, track and arrest regime critics and activists.

Politician executed

Among those affected is a prominent politician and Telenor customer, and after the company handed over the data, the man was arrested, sentenced to death and executed in prison.

— We know that the potential group of victims is more than 1,000 people, says Joseph Wilde-Ramsing, director and lead negotiator at Somo to Norwegian business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv.

He emphasizes that some of the victims are dead and executed, while several are arrested.

— We are in contact with their family members and demand financial compensation from Telenor for what they have been subjected to.

Claim worth millions

Lawyer Jan Magne Langseth, partner at Norwegian law firm Simonsen Vogt Wiig, represents Somo in the case. He states that the claim will be extensive.

— We have not yet set an exact figure, but there is little doubt it will amount to several hundred million kroner, he says.

Both individuals and organizations working for the democracy movement in Myanmar are demanding compensation.

— We have the number lists that were handed over to the junta, but we don't have all the names of the subscribers yet, says Langseth.

The notice establishes that Telenor systematically handed over personal data to the military junta, well aware that this would lead to human rights violations – including persecution, arbitrary arrests and elimination of opponents.

"This can be documented with extensive evidence", the document states.

Telenor: "No good choices"

Telenor's communications director David Fidjeland dismisses the matter and claims that the issue has already been resolved.

"The tragic developments in Myanmar have been the subject of several investigations within the police and judiciary without leading anywhere. Telenor Myanmar found itself in a terrible and tragic situation and unfortunately had no good choices", he writes in an email and continues:

"That journalists from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to Marienlyst [Telenor's headquarters in Norway] received this notice long before we ourselves received it unfortunately says something about where Somo has its focus. This unfortunately seems more like a PR stunt in a tragic matter than a serious communication".

Sold operations in 2022

Telenor received a mobile license in Myanmar in 2014. In a short time, the company became a major mobile operator with over 18 million customers in the country. After the military coup in February 2021, when the previous government was overthrown, Telenor chose to sell its mobile operations in Myanmar to Lebanese M1 Group – including customer data. The sale was completed in March 2022.

According to local media, M1 Group's local partner has close ties to the military junta.

Lawyer Langseth addresses the question of whether a refusal to hand over data would have affected local employees.

— The employees at Telenor Myanmar did not need to be involved. It could have been controlled from Norway or other countries in the group. Witnesses have told us that there was internal resistance among several of the key local employees at Telenor Myanmar against handing over data to the junta, he says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/center-left-coalition-wins-election-in-norway/

Norway

Center-left coalition wins election in Norway

Published September 9, 2025 – By Editorial staff
According to the forecasts, the center-left bloc will receive 89 seats in the Storting (Norwegian Parliament). 85 seats are required to achieve a majority.
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The red-green coalition secured victory in yesterday's election in Norway. This means that Jonas Gahr Støre remains as prime minister.

Yesterday's election to the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) went roughly as predicted – the social democratic Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) became the country's largest party with 28.2 percent of the votes, reports Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

Meanwhile, the right-wing Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) achieved its best election result ever, with 23.9 percent of the votes, becoming the country's second-largest party.

— It's fantastic. We're doing better than the opinion polls predicted. So it's incredibly good, says Sylvi Listhaug, the Progress Party leader.

According to NRK's forecast, the red-green bloc receives 89 seats, and 85 seats are required for a majority in the 169-seat Storting. In addition to the Labour Party, the red-green coalition includes the Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti), the Centre Party (Senterpartiet), the Red Party (Rødt), and the Green Party (Miljøpartiet de Grønne), all of which cleared the four percent electoral threshold.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com