France becomes first EU nation to ban social media for children under 15

France's Parliament has approved a law banning children under 15 from opening social media accounts from September. The measure places France at the forefront of Europe's push for tighter child safety rules online.

In Short

• Platforms must delete existing underage accounts within four months of rollout
• Influencer promotions targeting children will be banned, with mandatory danger warnings
• Macron said excessive screen use harms attention and urged teenagers towards books

France has become the first country in the European Union to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media. French lawmakers approved the legislation on Tuesday after both the Senate and the National Assembly voted in favour of the measure.

The law now awaits President Emmanuel Macron's signature, but the French government wants it to take effect before schools reopen in September.

This comes as countries across the world debate the impact of social media on children's mental health, safety and development. France now joins Australia, which became the first country to introduce a nationwide social media ban for children when it barred users under 16 from platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.

Calling the decision a landmark moment, France's minister for artificial intelligence, Anne Le Henanff, told senators, "France opens the way by being the first country in Europe to adopt a digital majority."

NEW RULES FOR CHILDREN AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Under the new law, children younger than 15 will not be allowed to create social media accounts from September 1.

Social media companies will then have four months to remove accounts already belonging to users below the age limit. The platforms will also be required to introduce age verification systems approved by France's privacy regulator to ensure children cannot easily bypass the restrictions.

The law is expected to apply to all major social media platforms operating in France.

It also goes beyond simply restricting access.

Advertising that promotes social media to children, including campaigns by influencers, will be prohibited. Advertisements for social media platforms must also carry a warning stating: "Dangerous products for children under 15."

The rules will be enforced by Arcom, France's audiovisual and digital communications regulator.

Exactly how platforms will verify the age of users remains unclear. The government has promised to establish a reliable verification system before the law comes into force.

MACRON'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA

President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly argued that excessive social media use is harming young people and weakening their ability to focus.

Soon after Parliament approved the bill, Macron welcomed the vote on X.

"Social media will be banned for children under 15 starting this school year," he wrote while thanking lawmakers for supporting the legislation.

His concerns about children's online habits are not new.

In April, Macron urged teenagers to spend less time on their phones and read more books instead.

"We left you in this jungle and it robbed you of your attention," Macron told teenagers during a public event. "We need to slow down and help you become adults, and above all citizens."

He added, "That's why what we want to do is say that before 15 years old, no more social media."

Earlier this year, the French president also delivered a strong message to technology companies.

"The brains of our children and our teenagers are not for sale," Macron said in a video message released in January.

"The emotions of our children and our teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms."

Macron instructed his government to fast-track the legislation so that the restrictions could be introduced before the beginning of the new academic year.

GROWING CONCERNS OVER CHILDREN'S ONLINE HABITS

The legislation comes amid growing concern among governments, health experts and parents over the amount of time children spend online.

According to France's communications regulator Arcom, children between the ages of 12 and 17 spend an average of one hour and 21 minutes every day on TikTok alone.

The regulator has also warned that recommendation algorithms often push teenagers towards increasingly extreme or emotionally disturbing content. It says young users can become trapped in endless streams of videos that trigger anxiety or expose them to harmful material.

Those concerns have strengthened calls for tighter regulation across Europe.

The European Commission is also preparing broader rules aimed at improving online safety for children. It will review whether France's legislation complies with existing European Union laws before it is fully implemented.

QUESTIONS REMAIN OVER ENFORCEMENT

Despite broad political support, questions remain about whether the law can be effectively enforced.

The biggest challenge is verifying users' ages without compromising privacy or creating new barriers for legitimate users.

Australia, which introduced a similar ban for children under 16 last year, requires technology companies to take "reasonable steps" to prevent underage users from opening or keeping accounts. France is expected to introduce a similar system, although officials have not yet explained how it will work.

Some experts believe children may still find ways to bypass the restrictions by using fake identities or accounts created by adults.

EUROPE MOVES TOWARDS TOUGHER RULES

France is not alone in taking a tougher stand on children's online safety.

Spain, Greece and Denmark are exploring their own minimum age requirements for social media users.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called for stronger protections for children online.

"Social media is not a toy," she said while urging "age-appropriate restrictions."

Drawing a comparison with product safety rules, she added, "In Europe, whoever develops a product is responsible for its safety. Car manufacturers must make their vehicles safe. We do not expect children to design their own seatbelts. We do not expect parents to fit airbags at home."

"This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children."

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