Denmark’s Ministry of Business announced Monday that the government is poised to raise the minimum age at which technology corporations can lawfully obtain minors’ personal data. The government seeks to safeguard children’s privacy and mitigate the risk of unauthorized disclosure of their personal information, aligning with the prevailing international trend.

The Danish government recently passed legislation that prohibits the collection and processing of personal data belonging to children below the age of 13, unless explicit consent is obtained from the individual with parental authority. However, in the European Union, comparable regulations pertain to children under the age of 16. The government’s proposed initiative seeks to align local laws with EU regulations. 

The Danish Business Minister, Morten Bodskov, underscored the need for tech companies to take responsibility for the collection of children’s data. Bodskov voiced apprehension regarding the deployment of “opaque algorithms” that employ dubious tactics to record the personal data of both children and adults.

The proposal appears to have been influenced by a recent investigative report. The investigation, conducted by the local channel TV2, sheds light on the illicit acquisition of children’s data through the use of sham entities distributing mobile applications and games. 

After the report’s release, Danish politicians expressed profound dismay over the ease with which confidential information was being gathered. Minister of Taxation Jeppe Bruus took an active stance on the matter, expressing his firm disapproval. Bruus emphasized the unacceptability of collecting information about our children in such a manner, especially since the data could be sold to foreign entities. He unequivocally deemed these actions illegal and called for a closer examination of the situation.

The European Union is not alone in its apprehensions surrounding the acquisition of data from minors. The United States is concurrently engaged in formulating an all-encompassing privacy bill, which entails raising the age at which tech companies can gather data from individuals to 16.