French lawmakers agree social media ban for under-15s
France is poised to become the first European country to prohibit under-15s from using social media, setting a regulatory precedent that could pressure tech platforms across the bloc to overhaul age verification systems.
French parliamentarians from the upper and lower houses reached a compromise on Monday that paves the way for a final vote on banning under-15s from social media. The legislation is widely expected to pass despite sharp criticism from parties on the political left. "Tomorrow, France will become the first country in Europe to introduce a digital age limit to better protect our children online," Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said on X.
The rule will be rolled out in two stages, blocking minors from creating new accounts from September 1 before applying the ban to existing accounts in January 2027. Educational platforms and online encyclopaedias are exempt from the restrictions. For social media companies, the immediate operational challenge will be integrating effective age-verification tools, with lawmaker Laure Miller telling AFP that platforms must choose their own systems, such as an app unveiled by the European Commission in April.
President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term, pledging enforcement by September alongside a mobile phone ban in secondary schools. After the government suspended a pensions reform last year, this legislation could be Macron's last major domestic change before stepping down in April 2027. The push follows warnings from France's public health watchdog that platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are detrimental to adolescents, particularly girls.
A test case for Europe
The law's passage could accelerate regulatory action across the continent. The EU is already considering restrictions, driven by a push from member states including France, Greece and Spain. Last week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen stated that children should have "phased and gradual access" to social media.
French lawmakers ultimately abandoned a proposed two-tier system that would have blacklisted only the most harmful platforms, allowing others with parental consent. Centrist senator Catherine Morin-Desailly noted the blacklist approach required fresh European Commission consultations and carried a "small risk" of non-compliance with European law. With Australia imposing a ban for under-16s in December, France joins over 20 countries restricting youth access, testing how far national governments can go without clashing with bloc-wide digital rules.
