French lawmakers have approved a bill banning the use of social media by children under 15, a measure that could come into effect at the start of the next school year in September as the idea of setting a minimum age for using these platforms gains support across Europe.
The lower house of the French parliament voted in favor of the ban, amid growing concerns about online bullying and the risks to mental health. The legislation now goes to the Senate, ahead of a final vote in the lower house. In a post on the X platform, President Emmanuel Macron hailed the move as a “big step” forward for the protection of minors in France. “The emotions of our children and adolescents are not to be sold or manipulated, neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms,” he said. Centrist lawmaker Laure Miller, who introduced the bill, told the lower house that the law “sets a clear line in society and shows that social media is not innocent.”
“Our children read less, sleep less and compare themselves more to each other,” he stressed. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who leads Macron’s Renaissance party in the lower house, pointed out that “social media platforms will have until December 31 to deactivate existing accounts” that do not comply with the age limit.
French legislation will require platforms to block access to teenagers through age verification mechanisms, in line with European Union law.
