France Becomes First EU Country to Ban Social Media for Children Under 15
The law also bars mobile phones in high schools and requires platforms to verify users' ages, with existing accounts phased out in 2027.
- On Tuesday, France's National Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation banning social media access for children under 15, voting 279 to 81 and making France the first European Union nation to enforce such restrictions.
- President Emmanuel Macron championed the legislation as a key initiative in his closing presidency, comparing the ban to alcohol restrictions and arguing it protects teenagers from social media's documented harms.
- According to France's health watchdog, 90% of children ages 12 to 17 use smartphones daily and 58% access social networks via their devices, highlighting documented risks including reduced self-esteem and exposure to harmful content.
- The Constitutional Council must now review the legislation to ensure constitutional compliance before implementation proceeds, while the measure awaits final approval before taking effect.
- While Australia and Indonesia enacted similar laws for children under 16, France becomes the first European Union member to implement such restrictions; Spain, Greece, and Denmark are now considering comparable bans.
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449 Articles
French youth social media ban: French youth social media ban meets age check conundrum
France's parliament is weighing a social media ban for under-15s, following in the footsteps of Australia and Indonesia, although enforcement authorities are facing a puzzle on how to manage age checks. Under its ban in force since December, Australia told social platforms they were not allowed to require government ID even in cases where a user's age is in doubt.
France makes serious with the age limit for social media, Austria wants to follow. However, it decides how far national bans bear, in Brussels.
National Catholic Register
Catholic World ReportFrance Becomes First European Country to Ban Social Media for Minors Under 15
“France is leading the way in Europe by becoming the first country to establish a ‘digital age of majority,’” said the country’s minister delegate for digital...
This Tuesday, France voted to ban social networks for minors under 15 years of age. At us a similar measure has been in the federal government's cards for months, but because of political blockages the discussions are not moving forward. ...
No more TikTok for French children under fifteen. France is set to become the first European country to introduce a social media ban. In Australia, there exists...
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