France Has Become The First EU Country To Ban Social Media For Children Under 15
French president Emmanuel Macron said France was “leading the way in Europe in protecting our children and our teenagers”.
France has approved a nationwide ban making it illegal for children under 15 to use social media.
Starting Sept. 1, social media companies will have to prevent children under 15 from creating new accounts.
Platforms will then have four months to identify and close existing accounts held by underage users.
The law will require platforms to block young teenagers from access through age-verification systems that comply with EU law.
The exact method of age verification has not yet been finalized, but companies will have to offer age-checking methods that are approved by France’s data protection regulator.
The new law also extends an existing ban on smartphones in junior high and middle schools to include high schools.
The bill was first approved by the National Assembly on Jan. 26, when lawmakers voted 130 in favor and 21 against, but it still needed to pass through the Senate.
On Tuesday, July 21, lawmakers in France’s National Assembly and Senate approved the final version of the legislation, placing responsibility on companies to prevent underage users from creating or holding accounts.
The Senate approved the bill by 243 votes to two, before the National Assembly passed it by 279 votes to 81, according to Reuters.
After the final vote, French president Emmanuel Macron said France was “leading the way in Europe in protecting our children and our teenagers”, AP reported.
The law could still face a review by France’s Constitutional Council.
Opposition lawmakers have raised concerns that the age-verification system could threaten online anonymity and fundamental freedoms, while the European Commission is expected to assess whether the law complies with the EU’s Digital Services Act.
The legislation follows Australia, which became the world’s first country to introduce a nationwide social media ban for children under 16 in December 2025.
The European Parliament has also pushed for an EU-wide minimum age of 16 for social media and similar online services, with some allowance for 13- to 16-year-olds to use platforms with parental consent.
Ikran Dahir
Cherry Mohamed
Isha Jain
