News Round-Up: Norway Plans Social Media Age Verification, Growing Calls To Put Fauci on Trial, Canada: Parents Have No Rights over Kids
Twice a week, the editorial team of Freedom Research compiles a round-up of news that caught our eye – or what felt like under-reported aspects of news deserving more attention.
Over the past few days, the following topics attracted our attention:
Norway Plans Social Media Age Restrictions
Canadian Education Minister: Parents Have Zero Rights over Their Kids
Pressure Mounts in the U.S. To Put Anthony Fauci on Trial
Norway Plans Social Media Age Restrictions
The Norwegian government plans to submit a bill to the parliament (the Storting) this year that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media. According to the proposal, technology companies will be responsible for age verification, and children in the same age group will be treated equally, states the Ministry of Children and Families.
Norway plans to ban social media for those under 16. To ensure children in the same age group are treated equally, the plan requires that an entire school class gains access to social media at the same time. All students in the class must be at least 15 years old when that access is granted. In other words, the age restriction will be based on the year of birth rather than the exact date of birth. According to Norway’s Minister for Children and Families, Lene Vågslid, this approach will ensure that the whole generation is treated equally. She also believes that since Norway is not alone in this matter, the country will be able to implement the plan successfully and will be among the leading European countries in social media age verification.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed that the government will submit a draft bill before the end of the year. “We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children. Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens. This is an important measure to safeguard children’s digital lives,” the prime minister explained.
According to Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance Karianne Tung, the plan is to make age verification mandatory for technology companies. “Children cannot be left with the responsibility for staying away from platforms they are not allowed to use. That responsibility rests with the companies providing these services,” Tung explained. She confirmed that platforms must implement effective age verification and comply with the law from the first day it takes effect.
At the same time, the European Commission has stepped up pressure on member states to adopt the recently developed age verification app. The Commission “recommends” using a customizable solution that adheres to high cybersecurity standards and implementing the app by the end of 2026.
Canadian Education Minister: “Parents have zero rights over their kids.”
In the Nova Scotia legislature, Education Minister Brendan Maguire reacted angrily to concerns that schools have policies supporting gender transition and that the province funds medical interventions for minors. The minister insisted that parental rights are irrelevant and, in his view, do not exist at all, writes ZeroHedge.
The issue arose during a parliamentary debate on child welfare. It was pointed out that the province funds gender transition surgeries for minors and that schools often support gender transition without parents’ knowledge. Education Minister Brendan Maguire responded: “I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand here and listen to someone say that parents deserve rights over a child. No, they don’t. They absolutely don’t.” Maguire argued that because his own parents abandoned him when he was young, parents in general do not deserve the right to decide over their children.
Since 2014, Nova Scotia has continuously expanded the teaching of gender ideology in public schools while schools are not required to inform the parents. In many cases, they are even permitted to withhold information from parents. Under the “Guidelines for Supporting Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Students,” students in grades 7–12 can use preferred pronouns and change their gender identity without parental consent if the student “has the capacity to give consent.” Schools must obtain the student’s permission before disclosing their transgender or gender-nonconforming identity to parents. Canadian authorities argue that this approach prioritizes the student’s right to self-determination and confidentiality, claiming that the state must protect the child from potential harm at home.
Furthermore, the province funds gender-affirming treatments with no specific minimum age limit. Such “assistance” is offered from the onset of puberty (approximately ages 8–14). Once again, parents do not need to be notified, and schools may withhold this information.
According to the critics of trans ideology, the minister’s statement confirms that the ultimate goal is to normalize state control over children by removing the greatest obstacle – the family.
Pressure Mounts in U.S. To Put Anthony Fauci on Trial
In late April, the U.S. Department of Justice filed conspiracy charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci’s former advisor, David Morens. This has prompted calls for charges to be filed also against Morens’s boss, Anthony Fauci, who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984 until 2022, i.e. including throughout the coronavirus pandemic, writes the New York Post.
President Donald Trump has said he intends to investigate the validity of Fauci’s pardon, which was preemptively granted by former President Joe Biden. As early as last December, Trump explained that Biden was not mentally capable of approving the pardon and that it was likely pushed by the previous administration. It is therefore believed that the current administration is examining whether the pardon is valid. Another option would be to file charges against Fauci, which would also test the pardon’s legitimacy.
In any case, Fauci is being blamed for the greatest government disaster in American history. Although Morens’s indictment has been praised, many – including the group that drafted Morens’s indictment – expect Fauci to be held accountable as well. The group considers it likely that Morens’ actions were directed by his superior, who repeatedly lied about the facts, concealed data, and recommended that federal documents and other records be destroyed or falsified. Therefore, as the long-time director of NIAID, Fauci is seen as bearing the greatest responsibility.
The government has only two weeks left to file charges against Fauci, 85, for lying under oath, as the five-year statute of limitations expires on May 11. A conviction for lying to Congress carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and a conviction for conspiracy carries an additional five years.