France approves social media ban for under-15s
Everyone in France would need to verify their age to use social media applications
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France has become the latest country to approve a limit on social media usage, with a ban on social media for under-15s set to come into force next year.
Both the Senate and Assemblée nationale voted in favour of a bill banning social media for children under the age of 15 yesterday (July 21).
MPs on the left are set to challenge the bill, meaning it will need to be approved by France’s Constitutional Council before it can be implemented.
The measure is backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who pledged to introduce major reform on the issue before the end of his second term in office (France will elect a new president in spring 2027).
France follows Australia and the UK, with the former banning and the latter proposing a law to ban social media for children aged under 16. France is the first EU country to introduce a ban, however.
How would law work?
Social media apps including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook would be limited and banned.
Video streaming apps such as YouTube would not be banned outright, but social media-like functions (commenting or viewing comments) would be restricted.
Other platforms including educational sites and certain private messaging services such as WhatsApp would remain accessible, although some may require parental consent.
The law is set to be implemented in two stages:
From September 2026, people under 15 would not be able to open new social media accounts, and age verification will be required for all new accounts being opened
In January 2027, this rule will apply to all existing accounts. This means everyone in France would have to prove they are over 15 to use social media
Social media websites would need to choose from a list of approved age verification tools approved by the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés for the process, reported Reuters news agency.
The quick timeline for the introduction of bans is realistic because “because age-verification tools already exist,” said France’s Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff following the vote.
“For four months, all of us in France will have to prove our age,” she told journalists. “If someone is under 15, the account will be closed.”
A ban on mobile phone usage in secondary schools (lycées) is also included in the law, hence the attempts to introduce it before September and the start of the 2026 - 2027 school year.
This will entail banning mobile phone use during lessons and in school corridors, but allowing them in designated outdoor areas.
“From September 1, the use of mobile phones in secondary schools will be banned, unless a specific exemption applies,” said Édouard Geffray, the education minister, during a televised interview with Franceinfo.
France has already brought in a ban on pupils using mobile phones in primary school and collèges (middle schools), following a trial of a smartphone ban in around 200 French collèges in 2024.
Also, since July 2025, it is forbidden to expose toddlers aged three and under to screens in nurseries and daycare centres in France.
Will the ban be effective?
The French Senate approved a draft proposal to ban social media for under-15s on March 31, before both chambers voted on the bill – and several others – on Tuesday.
On July 6 the European Commission raised concerns over the plans, deeming it incompatible with the Digital Services Act (DSA) - a 2024 EU regulation that aims to moderate online content and manage online adverts.
The text outlines plans to identify platforms that could be harmful to teenagers’ “physical, mental or moral development,” and which expose minors to “excessive commercial pressure.”
The EU is looking to introduce its own form of social media limitations for teenagers, but is yet to fully do so.
Media regulator Arcom was set to suggest a ‘blacklist’ to Anne Le Hénanff, digital affairs minister, and to be responsible for reporting any suspected breaches.
The European Commission said this would provide Arcom with too much power over social media platforms and undermine the DSA.
It however did not outright block the law.
Do you think the ban is useful, or will it be ineffective at best and a nuisance at worse? Let us know your opinion via feedback@connexionfrance.com
