France has approved a law banning children under 15 from using social media. This is a major measure that President Macron has seriously pushed to protect young people from the impacts of excessive screen time.
The French National Assembly, the lower house, approved the bill with a vote of 130 to 21 after an overnight session from Monday (26 Jan) to early Tuesday. Next, the bill will be sent to the Senate, the upper house, for consideration before being enacted into law.
President Macron expressed his congratulations on the vote outcome, stating via the X platform that this is a major step forward in protecting French children and youth.
The bill also includes a ban on mobile phone use in high schools, making France the second country worldwide to enact such legislation, following Australia’s December ban on social media for those under 16.
In a video released Saturday, Macron said, “The emotions and feelings of our children and teenagers should not be bought or manipulated, whether by platforms from the U.S. or algorithms from China.”
French authorities aim to enforce this measure on new accounts starting with the 2026 academic year.
Gabriel Attal, former Prime Minister and Macron’s Renaissance party leader in the lower house, said he hopes the Senate will pass the bill by mid-February so the ban can take effect from 1 September.
Attal added that social media platforms will have until 31 December to deactivate existing accounts that do not meet the age criteria. Beyond reducing mental health impacts on teens, he emphasized that this measure will help counter certain forces attempting to dominate young people’s thinking through social media.
He stated that France could become a pioneer in Europe within a month, changing the lives of youth and families and possibly the country's future in terms of independence. The bill clearly states, “Minors under 15 are prohibited from accessing social networking services provided by online platforms.” However, educational platforms and online encyclopedias are exempted.
Meanwhile, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) reported that platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram have several negative effects on teenagers, especially girls, though they are not the sole cause of worsening mental health issues. Risks identified include online bullying and exposure to violent content.
Effective enforcement requires a robust age verification system, which is currently being developed at the European Union level.
However, some opposition voices exist. Arnaud Saint-Martin, a deputy from the far-left party France Unbowed (LFI), criticized the measure as a form of digital authoritarianism and an overly simplistic response to the negative impacts of technology.
On Monday, nine child protection organizations called on the government to hold platforms accountable rather than banning children from social media.
/source:channelnewsasia
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