French lawmakers approve a sweeping social media ban for children under 15 - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reports that French lawmakers voted Tuesday to bar children under 15 from using social media, making France the first European Union country to approve a broad prohibition on such platforms for that age group. Both chambers of Parliament backed the measure, which is part of President Emmanuel Macron’s agenda and also includes a ban on mobile phone use in high schools.

Macron wants the new rules in place by the start of the school year in September, but AP notes that a constitutional review is expected and could slow implementation. The bill excludes online encyclopedias and educational or scientific directories. Lawmakers from the left-wing France Unbowed party opposed it, raising concerns about constitutionality, enforceability and the implications for online anonymity.

The vote comes amid rising concern in France and elsewhere about children’s exposure to harmful online content. AP cited lawsuits brought by several French families against TikTok over teen suicides they allege were linked to harmful content. The report also cited France’s health watchdog, which found that many teenagers spend hours daily on smartphones and that social media use can be associated with harms including lower self-esteem and exposure to content linked to self-harm, drug use and suicide.

Implementation details remain unresolved, including how existing accounts held by children under 15 would be identified or suspended and how age checks would work for new users. AP places the French move in a wider international context: Australia adopted a social media restriction for under-16s in 2024, while Spain, Denmark, Greece, the United Kingdom and EU officials are considering or advancing similar limits.