France’s parliament has approved landmark legislation banning children under 15 from using social media, making it the first European country to impose such restrictions.
The law, passed Tuesday by both the Senate and National Assembly, will take effect in stages and require all users to verify their age, reports BBC.
Under the new rules, beginning in September 2026, children under 15 will be barred from opening new accounts, with age verification required for all sign‑ups. From January 2027, the requirement will extend to existing accounts, meaning every user in France must prove they are over 15 to access social media.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the move, saying it fulfills a pledge he made to mark the end of his decade in office.
The government insists age‑verification tools are already effective and safe, despite scepticism over privacy risks and the potential for young people to bypass restrictions.
Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff defended the speed of implementation, noting that “age‑verification tools already exist.” Platforms will be required to use systems approved by France’s privacy regulator.
The law comes amid growing concern over children’s mental health and follows similar steps abroad. France is the second country to enact such a ban after Australia, which prohibited under‑16s from social media in December 2023.
Despite the ban, Australia’s eSafety Commission reported in March that seven in ten children under 16 with accounts before the ban still had “some access.”
Professor Tama Leaver of Curtin University in Western Australia said the Australian ban had “failed” technically but showed such measures are possible, describing it as “a bit of an experiment.”
He said France’s stricter age‑verification could improve compliance but warned of heightened privacy risks and the danger of pushing young people into less‑regulated online spaces.
Across Europe, momentum for restrictions is building. In June, former UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced under‑16s will be banned from social media from January 2027, with an optional midnight curfew for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds.
In May, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a “social media delay” for children and signaled new legislation could follow within months.
