Danish PM Sparks Controversy With Social Media vs. Smoking Analogy

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sparked controversy comparing children's social media use to smoking. She later apologized, stating her intent was to highlight children's vulnerability online. Denmark is now pushing to ban social media for children under 15, with stricter rules for younger teens. The government believes digital platforms have negatively impacted youth well-being.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen recently triggered a controversy over her comments comparing children's use of social media to smoking. Speaking about online safety, Mette Frederiksen was purportedly heard as saying, "If I had small kids today, I would rather have them smoking than allowing them to stay on their own on social media. But I am acting prime minister, so I will not say that." (sic)

She added, "There's something wrong with us... We still look into old threats, but there's a new one and it's much more present."

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"Every time there is a problem in Europe, there is a 50/50 chance Denmark is there trying to make it worse," a user wrote. "That is absolutely absurd. Social media is a mix of good and bad. You can make it 100% good if you want to (profile curation). The bad parts can be a learning experience in standing up for yourself... Smoking, on the other hand, is a destructive addiction. Much, much worse," another comment read.

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Another person said, “What a queen. Anyone who disagrees with this is some kind of retard Schizo anime watcher.”

“I wonder why, to control people and feed them with their narratives,” a third user remarked.

Another wrote, “The timing of this, together with the EU trying to further censor social media, is disturbing.”

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Mette Frederiksen has apologised for the controversial statement she made about children and cigarettes, reports The Sweden Herald. "Clearly children and young people should not smoke. Just as children should not be alone on platforms, where they risk seeing harmful images, being offered drugs, being groomed or blackmailed over intimate images. Yesterday I wanted to provoke us adults to understand how vulnerable our children are on screens," she wrote in a Facebook post.

The comments come as Denmark pushes ahead with plans to ban social media for children under 15. Speaking at the opening of the Danish Parliament on October 7, 2025, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the country had been "too naive" about the impact of digital platforms on young people.

“We’ve left children’s digital lives in the hands of platforms that were never designed with their wellbeing in mind. We need to move from digital captivity to real community,” she said.

Frederiksen also argued that smartphones and social media are taking away important parts of childhood. Under the proposed rules, children aged 13 and 14 would only be allowed to use social media with parental consent, while those under 15 could face a complete ban. The measures could come into force as early as next year.