1'
PARIS — France has become the first country in Europe to approve a sweeping ban on social media access for children under the age of 15, following growing concerns about the impact of online platforms on the health and safety of young people.
The French Parliament definitively approved the legislation on Tuesday, with the measure backed by President Emmanuel Macron. The law is expected to take effect at the start of the new school year.
Under the new rules, social media platforms will be prohibited from allowing children under 15 to create new accounts from September 1, 2026. Existing accounts belonging to under-15s will be subject to closure after a four-month transition period, meaning the ban is expected to fully apply to those accounts by January 1, 2027.
Technology companies will also be required to introduce age-verification systems approved by France's privacy regulator to help enforce the restrictions.
The move is part of a wider effort by French authorities to protect children from risks associated with social media, including cyberbullying, harmful content, excessive screen use and concerns over the effects of online platforms on young people's mental health.
The legislation also includes restrictions on mobile phone use in high schools, while certain educational and encyclopaedic online services are expected to be exempt from the social-media restrictions.
Supporters of the law say children need greater protection from the risks of social media, while critics have raised questions about how effectively the ban can be enforced and how platforms will verify users' ages without creating privacy concerns.
France's move follows Australia's introduction of a ban on social media access for children under 16 and comes as governments around the world consider tougher regulations to protect minors online.
The European Union is also examining broader measures aimed at regulating social media platforms and strengthening protections for children and teenagers online.
COMMENTS