France approves social media ban for under-15 children
France’s parliament has approved a new law that will ban children under the age of 15 from using social media, making France the first country in Europe to introduce such a rule.
President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the decision and said the ban is one of the key reforms of his final term in office. He said he hopes it will start in September after approval by the country’s Constitutional Council.
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Macron said the law is an important step to protect children and teenagers online.
The Senate approved the bill earlier on Tuesday, and later the National Assembly passed it by 279 votes to 81.
Under the new law, children under 15 will not be allowed to open new social media accounts from September 1. Existing accounts belonging to children under 15 must be closed by January 2027.
Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said social media companies will be responsible for checking users’ ages and enforcing the ban. She added that age verification technology is already available and more tools are being developed.
She also said people’s personal information will be protected during the age verification process.
The law also includes a ban on mobile phones in French high schools from the beginning of the new school year.
France’s public health agency has warned that social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram can harm young people’s mental health, especially teenage girls.
The ban will not apply to educational websites or online encyclopaedias. It also does not include penalties for children or their parents.
Several European countries are considering similar measures, while Australia already requires major social media platforms to remove accounts belonging to children under 16 or face heavy fines.
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