French parliament has approved legislation to ban children under 15 from using social media platforms, making it the first EU country to introduce such a measure. President Emmanuel Macron described the ban as a key reform of his final term and pledged to enforce it by September.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly with 279 votes to 81, after receiving Senate approval. It requires social media platforms to verify users’ ages, with under-15s blocked from creating new accounts from 1 September. The measure will also apply to existing accounts from 1 January 2027, according to the legislation.
Macron said France was leading efforts in Europe to protect children and teenagers online, adding that the Constitutional Council must now rule on the legislation before it can take effect.
The law follows growing concerns over the impact of social media on children’s mental health. France’s public health watchdog last year concluded that platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were harmful to adolescents, particularly girls, not being the sole cause of declining mental health.
While lawmakers agreed on the need for regulation, the legislation drew criticism over its age-verification process, implementation timeline and potential privacy concerns. Exceptions have been made for educational platforms and online encyclopaedias, though as of now the law does not penalize children or parents.
The measure comes as the European Commission considers similar restrictions, with several EU member states already testing age-verification systems.
