Currently, the minimum age limit is 13 years. Credit: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

Denmark is looking to implement a measure to limit the collection of children’s data by major technology companies, reported Reuters, citing Denmark Business Minister Morten Bodskov

The Danish government intends to raise the minimum age to between 15 and 16 years at which children can provide permission to share personal information with technology companies. Currently, the minimum age limit is 13 years.

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Additionally, in order to use data from children younger than that, the companies will need parental approval.

“The tech giants must take greater responsibility,” Bodskov was quoted by the news agency as saying.

“We must put an end to their opaque algorithms, which use crazy methods to keep children and adults in front of the screen and harvest unimaginable amounts of personal information.”

The move comes as several European nations from Hungary to Lithuania and the Netherlands are working on laws with a similar intent.

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Germany has already established 16 years as the minimum age.

Meanwhile, the US is working on an online privacy bill to ban the unauthorised collection of personal data on users aged 16 years or younger.

Additionally, businesses would have to give young people the option to delete their personal data.

Denmark’s efforts are based on suggestions made by an expert council and are expected to become law later this year.

The business ministry stated that they would also strive to implement age-verification methods on websites and applications to keep kids away from sensitive information.

Recently, Microsoft and Amazon agreed to pay millions in penalties to settle US Federal Trade Commission’s charges of alleged violations of children’s privacy law.