France bans access to social networks for children under 15

The French Parliament has definitively adopted a law banning access to social networks for people under 15, making the country the first European state to introduce such a regulation. The measure, supported by President Emmanuel Macron, aims to protect minors from the risks associated with the use of digital platforms, reports Le Figaro. The law was approved after several months of parliamentary debate. The Senate adopted the text resulting from the joint joint committee with 243 votes in favor and two against, and a few hours later it was also validated by the National Assembly.

• Ban on social media platforms

The main article of the law stipulates that access to online social networking services is prohibited for minors under 15 years of age. The regulation does not apply to services such as online encyclopedias, including Wikipedia, nor to platforms for the development and distribution of open source software or digital projects with educational purposes.

However, the text does not establish a single method for verifying the age of users, this responsibility falling on the operators of platforms, such as Facebook or TikTok, who will have to implement their own control systems.

• Restrictions extend to high schools

The law also extends the ban on the use of mobile phones in educational institutions, the measure will also apply to high schools. The internal regulations of schools may provide for certain exceptions. The French government intends for the new rules to come into force at the start of the school year in September for new social media accounts, and for existing accounts after a four-month transition period, in January 2027. President Emmanuel Macron, who has been a strong supporter of the project, announced his intention to extend the ban on mobile phones to high schools at the end of last year. In the debates in Parliament, the minister responsible for digital affairs, Anne Le Henanff, said the measure was necessary to protect children from the negative effects of social media. "We must act without delay to protect our children from the dangers of social media,” the minister said, adding that France would become the first European country to introduce the concept of "digital adulthood.” According to her, 15 other European countries support the adoption of similar regulations.

• Support, but also criticism

The adoption of the law was welcomed by supporters of the project, who believe that digital platforms have not taken sufficient measures to protect minors. Senator Catherine Morin-Desailly said that the vote of the French Parliament should represent a signal to the European Commission, which presented in April a European application to verify the age of users, but without sufficient complementary measures to protect children. The project was contested by part of the opposition. Deputy Antoine Leaument, from the La France Insoumise party, argued that the application of the law could lead to all users being forced to verify their identity through documents or facial recognition to access social networks. On the other hand, the leader of the Ensemble pour la Republique parliamentary group, Gabriel Attal, described the adoption of the law as "an important victory”. It remains to be seen to what extent the new rules can be effectively applied and whether minors will find ways to circumvent the restrictions imposed by French law.