Minister confronts ‘Eternal Algorithms’

Denmark’s newly appointed Digitalization Minister, Caroline Stage, is ready to challenge the algorithms on social platforms influencing excessive screen time among children and teens. In an interview, Stage recounted her personal attempt to encourage healthier habits at home by suggesting the use of alarm clocks instead of screens, highlighting the invasive nature of notifications. Recognizing the limited impact a small country like Denmark would have alone against tech giants like Meta or TikTok, she emphasized the need for EU-level regulation. She supports the EU’s proposed Digital Fairness Act, which aims to regulate or even ban ‘eternity scrolling’ algorithms. On a national level, Stage advocates a unified recommendation from relevant authorities to guide parents on managing their children’s screen time.