The French government has introduced a bill aimed at banning children under the age of 15 from using social media.
The proposal is backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who said back in December that Parliament should debate the bill in January.
“Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,” the draft says, according to French news outlet Le Monde.
The government claims that adolescents are exposed to “inappropriate content” and could suffer from cyberbullying, mental health issues, and other unwanted consequences. The government feels that it should step in to prevent these kinds of troubles.
The proposal has two parts. First, online platforms and social media are prohibited from serving people under the age of 15. The second article concerns a ban on the use of mobile phones in secondary education.
The government plans for these two measures to come into effect on September 1st, 2026.
In June 2025, President Macron advocated a ban on the use of social media by people under the age of 15 throughout the European Union.
“This is a recommendation from the experts on the screen commission: I support banning social media for children under 15. Platforms have the ability to verify age. Let’s do it,” Macron said in a post on X.
“We cannot wait,” President Macron added in an interview with French news outlet France 2, in which he responded to a stabbing at a French school.
Australia implemented social media minimum age restrictions rules in December 2025, forcing social media companies to take steps to ban the use of their platforms for children under the age of 16.
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“Our social media ban is about providing greater peace of mind for Australian parents. It’s also about making sure that Australian children have a childhood,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when the new rules went into effect.
He also warned companies of substantial fines of up to AUD$49.5 million if they didn’t play by the rules.
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