France Takes Historic Step to Protect Youth from Social Media
In a significant move to safeguard children's wellbeing, French lawmakers have voted to implement a comprehensive ban on social media access for all individuals under the age of 15. This groundbreaking legislation, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, positions France as the second nation globally to enact such stringent digital protections for minors, following Australia's similar initiative for under-16s implemented in December.
Parliamentary Approval and Next Steps
The lower national assembly approved the bill with a decisive vote of 130 to 21 during an extensive overnight session spanning Monday to Tuesday. The legislation will now progress to the Senate, France's upper parliamentary house, for further consideration before potentially becoming law. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who leads Macron's Renaissance party in the lower house, expressed optimism that the Senate could pass the bill by mid-February, potentially enabling implementation from 1st September.
President Macron celebrated the parliamentary vote as a "major step" in protecting French children and teenagers, emphasising his commitment through a post on social media platform X. The proposed measures would require social media platforms to deactivate non-compliant accounts by 31st December following implementation, with authorities targeting enforcement from the beginning of the 2026 academic year for newly created accounts.
Comprehensive Digital Protection Measures
The legislation introduces a dual approach to digital safeguarding, prohibiting both social media access for under-15s and mobile phone usage within high school environments. This builds upon existing restrictions implemented in 2018, which banned mobile phones in colleges catering to students aged 11 to 15. The new bill specifically targets "online social networking services provided by online platforms", while explicitly excluding educational resources such as online encyclopedias and learning platforms from the restrictions.
Authorities have highlighted the necessity of developing an effective age verification system for the ban to become operational, with ongoing work occurring at the European level to establish robust verification mechanisms. The legislation emerges alongside concerning findings from France's public health watchdog ANSES, which recently identified multiple detrimental effects of platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram on adolescent development, particularly affecting girls.
Political Perspectives and Public Health Concerns
Supporters of the legislation frame it as a crucial intervention against what Attal described as "powers that, through social media platforms, want to colonise minds". Macron has articulated similar concerns, stating in a recent video broadcast that "the emotions of our children and teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, either by American platforms or Chinese algorithms".
However, the proposed ban has attracted criticism from various quarters. Arnaud Saint-Martin of the hard-left France Unbowed party characterised the measure as "a form of digital paternalism" and an "overly simplistic" response to complex technological challenges. Meanwhile, nine child protection associations have urged lawmakers to focus on holding platforms accountable rather than implementing outright bans, reflecting ongoing debates about the most effective approaches to digital child protection.
Broader Context and Implementation Challenges
The legislation addresses growing international concern about the impact of excessive screen time on child development and mental health, with identified risks including cyberbullying and exposure to violent content. Former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has expressed reservations about the practical implementation of mobile phone restrictions in schools, noting that "it's more complicated than that" and emphasising the importance of ensuring existing middle school bans are properly enforced before expanding restrictions.
As France positions itself as a potential pioneer in European digital child protection, the legislation represents a significant development in the global conversation about balancing technological access with wellbeing safeguards for younger generations. The coming months will determine whether these ambitious protections become reality, potentially establishing new standards for digital regulation across the continent.
