French Parliament Approves Social Media Ban for Under-15s

French lawmakers approved a national social media ban for children under 15 on Tuesday, cementing the country's position as a frontrunner in the European Union on digital age restrictions.

Key Provisions of the Law

The legislation, passed with 279 votes in favour and 81 against, includes the following measures:

• New accounts: Younger teenagers will be prohibited from creating new social media accounts from 1 September
• Existing accounts: The ban will apply to current accounts from 1 January 2027
• Mobile phones: Devices will be forbidden in most high schools, extending existing restrictions in middle and primary schools

Government and Legal Context

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has hailed the law as a significant achievement of his term, had wanted it implemented by the start of the school year. However, a Commission legal opinion sent to Paris earlier this month requested revisions to ensure alignment with EU law.

French digital minister Anne Le Hénanff described the bill as "proportionate" and "compatible with European law."

The country's privacy regulator will be responsible for assessing companies' age verification systems.

Legislative Process

The compromise text, agreed upon by lawmakers from the upper and lower houses on Monday, dropped the Senate's request for a two-tiered system — one including a 'blacklist' of the most harmful platforms and another granting access with parental consent. Lawmakers in the National Assembly favoured broader wording, citing concerns that the former approach would slow implementation by requiring more time to consult with the European Commission.

International Context

France is following in Australia's footsteps, which enacted the world's first ban for under-16s on social platforms — including TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat — last December.

Opposition and Criticism

While social media bans enjoy widespread public support in many countries, the move is predictably unpopular with tech platforms. Progressive lawmakers and digital rights and privacy groups have also raised objections.

Far-left MP Louis Boyard from La France Insoumise, who fiercely rejected the text, suggested the law marks the "end of anonymity on the Internet," pointing to the requirement for ID verification.

EU-Wide Developments

The French law comes as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce EU-wide measures targeting social media and other platforms used by children in September, as previously reported by Euractiv.

Von der Leyen convened a panel of online child safety experts earlier this year, who reported back this month recommending that Brussels:

• Opt for a total ban on social media for under-13s
• Introduce a gradual transition from "supervised" to "autonomous" use until the age of 18

The panel also suggested that age limits should be applied to other types of online platforms, including video games and AI chatbots, as well as social media.

Broader European Trends

Several countries across the bloc, including Denmark, Spain, and Greece, are pushing for tighter rules on social media and eyeing different age limits for under-16s or under-15s.

In Germany, an expert commission previously recommended that the government ban under-13s from social media, combined with tiered protection for older teenagers.

Data

According to the World Health Organization, around 11% of children in 2024 had "problematic" social media use.