France has become the first country in the European Union to prohibit children under the age of 15 from using social media, following the passage of a landmark law aimed at safeguarding minors from the adverse effects of excessive screen time and online platforms. The legislation is scheduled to take effect on September 1, ahead of the new academic year.
The law, introduced by the government of President Emmanuel Macron, bars children below 15 from creating accounts on social media platforms. It also places new obligations on technology companies, requiring them to remove existing accounts belonging to underage users within four months of the law coming into force and implement age verification systems approved by France’s data protection authority.
The measure forms part of France’s broader strategy to address mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children’s mental health and well-being. The government has cited issues such as cyberbullying, online addiction, anxiety, and exposure to harmful or inappropriate content as key reasons for introducing the restrictions. President Macron has consistently argued that stronger regulation is necessary to protect young people from the risks associated with unrestricted access to digital platforms.
In addition to regulating social media use, the legislation extends France’s existing restrictions on mobile phones in schools by introducing a ban on phone use in high schools. However, educational platforms and certain public-interest digital services, including online encyclopaedias, have been exempted from the new social media restrictions.
The final legislation departs from an earlier proposal that sought to prohibit specific social media platforms. Instead, it applies broadly to services that fall within the European Union’s legal definition of social media. Before the law is fully implemented, the European Commission will examine its compatibility with the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s regulatory framework governing online platforms.
France’s decision follows a growing international trend toward stricter regulation of children’s online activity. Australia was the first country to enact legislation banning social media access for children under the age of 16, while several European nations, including Greece, Spain, and Denmark, are considering similar measures in response to increasing concerns over the effects of digital platforms on young users.
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