French lawmakers are expected to approve legislation banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, a move that would place France among the first countries in the European Union to introduce such sweeping restrictions on young users.
The bill, which has already cleared a parliamentary reconciliation committee, is due for a final vote in the French Parliament on Tuesday, July 21. If approved, the law is expected to take effect on September 1, ahead of the new school year.
The legislation would require major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, to introduce age verification systems approved by France’s data protection authority. Companies would have four months to remove existing accounts belonging to users under 15 who cannot verify their age.
The proposal has the backing of President Emmanuel Macron, who has argued that excessive social media use contributes to cyberbullying, poor mental health and declining reading habits among children. Macron has said the measure is intended to encourage healthier offline activities and better protect minors online.
Educational websites, online encyclopedias and certain non commercial digital services would be exempt from the ban. Before the law can take effect, France must notify the European Commission, which will review whether the legislation complies with the EU Digital Services Act and other European rules governing online platforms.
The proposal follows similar efforts in countries such as Australia, which introduced a nationwide social media ban for users under 16, as governments increasingly seek to address concerns about the impact of digital platforms on children’s wellbeing.
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