French Lawmakers Set to Vote on Social Media Ban for Under-15s
French legislators are poised to vote on groundbreaking legislation that would prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media platforms, marking the latest effort by a major Western democracy to shield minors from what authorities describe as harmful digital exposure.
The draft bill, scheduled for examination by the National Assembly from 4:00 pm local time on Monday, represents President Emmanuel Macron’s most assertive intervention yet in regulating technology companies’ access to young users. If passed, the measure would make France the second country after Australia to implement such sweeping age restrictions on social media use.
“The emotions of our children and teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, either by American platforms or Chinese algorithms,” Macron declared in a video statement broadcast on Saturday, framing the initiative as a matter of national sovereignty and child welfare.
The legislation, championed by centrist lawmakers, is expected to receive approval from the lower house before advancing to the Senate. Authorities have signaled their intention to fast-track the measure, with enforcement targeted for the start of the 2026 school year for newly created accounts.
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Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who now leads lawmakers from Macron’s Renaissance party in the National Assembly, expressed confidence on Monday that the Senate would pass the bill by mid-February. “This means that in a month’s time, it could be adopted and that on September 1, the ban will come into force for new accounts,” he stated, adding that “social media platforms will then have until December 31 to deactivate existing accounts” that do not comply with the age requirement.
The proposed law stipulates that “access to an online social networking service provided by an online platform is prohibited for minors under the age of 15.” However, online encyclopaedias and educational directories would be exempt from the restriction.
Beyond concerns about screen time and adolescent mental health, Attal emphasized broader geopolitical implications, suggesting the measure would counter “a number of powers that, through social media platforms, want to colonise minds.” He described the legislation as an opportunity for France to pioneer digital regulation in Europe, potentially influencing “the destiny of our country in terms of independence.”
The bill also includes provisions for banning mobile phones in high schools, expanding a restriction France first implemented in 2018 for middle schools, which serve children between the ages of 11 and 15.
France’s public health authority, ANSES, released findings this month identifying multiple harmful effects of social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram on adolescents, particularly girls, though the agency noted these platforms were not the sole factor in declining youth mental health. The risks documented include cyberbullying, exposure to violent content, and broader psychological impacts.
The legislative push follows Australia’s December 2024 decision to ban social media for users under 16, a precedent-setting move that has sparked international debate about government regulation of digital platforms. As social media adoption has accelerated globally over the past decade, concerns have intensified among policymakers, educators, and health professionals that excessive screen exposure may impede child development and contribute to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction among young people.
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Implementation of the ban will depend on establishing an effective age verification system, work on which is currently underway at the European Union level. The technical and privacy challenges associated with accurately verifying users’ ages without collecting intrusive personal data remain significant obstacles that regulators across multiple jurisdictions are attempting to resolve.
Not all French political figures have embraced the measure without reservation. Former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne expressed caution on Monday, telling broadcaster France 2 that “it’s more complicated than that,” and suggesting authorities should “first need to make sure that the ban is properly enforced in middle schools” before expanding restrictions to older students.