The French parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first European Union country to impose a complete ban on social media for this age group.
The law, approved by both the Senate and the National Assembly on July 21, is one of the key initiatives of President Emmanuel Macron's second term. Macron described the decision as a "major step" in protecting children and adolescents.
The new law does not just cover social media. It also bans the use of mobile phones in French high schools (upper grades). Previously, this restriction only applied to primary and secondary schools.
The law will not come into force immediately. Social media platforms must first implement technical systems to reliably verify the age of users. Companies will be able to choose the technology to use for this purpose. One option is an age verification application presented by the European Commission.
It should be noted that France also passed a law in 2023 that made parental consent mandatory for users under the age of 15 to register on social networks. However, due to technical problems, this law was not effectively implemented.
The new law has caused mixed reactions in society. Parents and organizations dealing with children's online safety support this step, citing the impact of social networks on children's psychology and safety. On the other hand, some politicians have expressed concerns about the constitutionality of the law, the right to anonymity and the enforcement mechanisms.
