With 130–21 votes in favor, France’s National Assembly approved a bill banning social media use for children under the age of 15. The bill moves now to the Senate for consideration before it goes into effect. The government aims to enforce the ban from September 1, 2026, by the start of the 2026–27 school year.
Social media firms will have to employ stringent age-verification technology to limit service access to under-15s, and any accounts of under-15s on social media may be deactivated by the close of 2026, though details are still being looked at. French leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron, claim social media could harm kids’ mental health, sleep, reading habits and exposure to bullying or harmful content.
The bill is the latest piece of legislation to protect young minds from algorithm-driven manipulation and screen addiction. Aside from banning social media, the legislation expands existing mobile phone bans at schools to also cover high schools. Its proponents say the measure is a daring move with the prospect of turning France into a world leader in protecting children online.
Detractors warn that enforcement could be challenging, possibly forcing companies to adopt privacy-intrusive measures, and propose that holding platforms responsible for damaging content is probably more effective.
France has not been the only one to adopt such actions. Australia is also implementing a similar ban for under-16s, while the UK, Spain and Denmark are contemplating similar measures to safeguard minors from online dangers.
