French lawmakers passed a landmark bill banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first European country to set a digital age limit.The bill was approved by the Senate on Tuesday and is expected to pass the House later in the day after a compromise on the text is reached on Monday. Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said France would “be the first country in Europe to introduce digital age limits to better protect our children online.”“French President Emmanuel Macron championed the law as a flagship reform of his final term in office and pledged to implement it by September.
How the ban will work
- The social media rules will be rolled out in two phases:
- Starting September 1, teenagers under the age of 15 will be banned from creating new accounts
- The ban will apply to existing accounts from January 2027
- Exceptions include websites such as online encyclopedias and educational platforms.
- Platforms will be required to use age verification tools approved by France’s privacy watchdog.
Lawmakers have agreed on the need for regulation after warnings grew about the harmful effects of social media on children. France’s public health watchdog said last year that platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were harmful to teenagers, especially girls.France joins more than 20 countries taking steps to regulate children’s access to social media. In December last year, Australia became the first country in the world to require platforms to delete the accounts of teenagers under the age of 16.The European Commission is developing its own regulations to control social media across Europe to protect young people. Last week, EU President Ursula von der Leyen said children should have “a phased and gradual introduction” to social media.Macron urged young people in April to turn off their phones and read, saying: “We leave you in this jungle and it robs you of your attention. We need to slow down and help you become adults, especially citizens. That’s why what we want to do is stop using social media before the age of 15.”
