The French Parliament has approved a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first country in the European Union to impose such restrictions. The legislation was passed on July 21, 2026, with a vote of 279 to 81 in the National Assembly.

The ban will be implemented in two stages: starting September 1, 2026, children under 15 will be blocked from creating new accounts on social media platforms. From January 2027, the ban will apply to existing accounts as well. Social media platforms will be required to implement age verification systems to enforce the ban.

President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term in office. In a video posted on social media, Macron stated, "France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers." He also thanked members of parliament for backing the legislation and noted that the Constitutional Council must now rule on it.

Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff has stated that the timeline for implementation is realistic, as age-verification tools already exist. She assured journalists that users' personal data would be protected and that the onus is on the platforms to impose the rule. "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."

The law also includes a ban on mobile phones in high schools, which will take effect at the beginning of the French school year. The ban applies to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram but excludes online encyclopedias like Wikipedia and other services that contribute to educational development in open code.

Other EU countries, including Greece, Slovenia, and Sweden, are planning to restrict minors' access to social media. The French law has sparked discussions about its effectiveness, with some critics pointing out that children may find ways to bypass the restrictions.

The Constitutional Council must now rule on the legislation before it can be fully implemented. The ban is part of a broader effort by the French government to protect minors from online harms, following warnings from public health watchdogs about the negative impact of social media on adolescents' mental health.

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Articles

French parliament backs social media ban for under-15s in EU first

gdeltproject.org · about 4 hours ago

Frankreich verbietet Social Media für Jugendliche unter 15 Jahren – Alterskontrolle geplant Als erstes EU-Land führt Frankreich jetzt ein Social-Media-Verbot für Jugendliche unter 15 Jahren ein. Das Parlament in Paris hatte das Gesetz mit großer Mehrheit verabschiedet. Nach den Sommerferien soll es dann in Kraft treten.

welt.de · about 4 hours ago

Frances parliament bans social media for children under 15 On Tuesday, the French parliament approved a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first country in Europe to exclude children from apps like TikTok and Instagram. According to President Emmanuel Macron, France is leading European efforts to protect children online. The Constitutional Council must now rule on the legislation. […]

cphpost · about 4 hours ago

Social-Media-Sucht: Machen Displays Kinder krank, Julia Brailovskaia? Social Media erst ab 14? Sollte Deutschland dem Beispiel Australiens folgen? Eine Psychologin erklärt, wie Social-Media-Sucht entsteht und was Eltern tun können.

die zeit · about 5 hours ago

France becomes first EU country to officially ban social media for children France will ban social media for under-15s from September 1, following the UK and Australias moves toward blanket bans.

aljazeera · about 5 hours ago

Frankreich beschloss Social - Media - Verbot unter 15 Jahren

gdelt bot · about 5 hours ago

French Lawmakers Approve Social Media Ban for Children Under 15

gdeltproject.org · about 5 hours ago

France Joins a Global Move Toward Restricting Social Media for Children Its new law, the first of its kind enacted by a European country, will ban access to some accounts for anyone under 15.

new york times · about 5 hours ago

Divieto dei social in Francia, lesperto: Servono verifiche delletà rigorose o è una farsa Ernesto Belisario, avvocato specializzato nel diritto delle nuove tecnologie: In Italia stiamo prendendo atto, forse troppo tardi, degli effetti che certe piattaforme hanno sul benessere psicofisico dei ragazzi

corriere · about 6 hours ago

French lawmakers set to ban social media for under-15s in European first

gdeltproject.org · about 6 hours ago

Social-Media-Verbot: Die digitale Gefahr endet nicht am 14. Geburtstag Statt Kinder und Jugendliche komplett auszusperren, müssen die Tech-Konzerne verpflichtet werden, ihre Sucht fördernden Algorithmen zu zähmen

der standard · about 6 hours ago

France adopts social media ban for children under 15

gdeltproject.org · about 6 hours ago

Major step forward: French lawmakers approve social media ban for children under 15Frances parliament on Tuesday approved a social media ban for children under 15. President Emmanuel Macron immediately hailed the "major step forward", saying in a video posted on social media that… #News #France #French #EU

mastodon bot · about 6 hours ago

French social media ban for under-15s clears final vote

bluesky_Euractiv · about 7 hours ago

Frankrijk verbiedt als eerste EU-land sociale media onder 15 jaar Frankrijk voert als eerste land binnen de Europese Unie een minimumleeftijd in voor sociale media. Vanaf 1 september mogen jongeren onder de 15 jaar geen nieuwe accounts meer aanmaken op platforms als TikTok, Snapchat en Instagram.

rtl nieuws · about 7 hours ago

Frankrijk komt als eerste EU-land met leeftijdsgrens voor sociale media Het Franse parlement heeft dinsdag een wetsvoorstel goedgekeurd dat de toegang tot sociale media voor kinderen onder de vijftien jaar verbiedt. Daarmee is Frankrijk het eerste EU-land dat een leeftijdsgrens invoert voor apps als TikTok en Instagram.

nu.nl · about 7 hours ago

La France interdit les réseaux sociaux aux moins de 15 ans, une première en Europe Après six mois de désaccords, le Sénat et lAssemblée nationale ont définitivement adopté une version commune du texte le 21 juillet, dernier jour possible pour tenter de tenir le délai fixé par Emmanuel Macron, qui veut voir la mesure appliquée dès le 1er septembre.

mediapart · about 7 hours ago

France bans social media access for children under 15, making it the first European country to bar children from apps such as TikTok u.afp.com/Srxo

bluesky_AFP English · about 7 hours ago

France passes social media ban for children under 15 #DE #Deutsch #Deutschsprechenden #Europe

mastodon bot · about 7 hours ago

French parliament passes social media ban for under-15s President Emmanuel Macron, who has championed the initiative, wants the ban in effect before the upcoming school year.

aljazeera · about 7 hours ago

France approves social media ban for children under 15

gdeltproject.org · about 7 hours ago

No more social media before 15: France passes landmark digital age law

gdeltproject.org · about 7 hours ago

French MPs back social media ban for children under 15

gdeltproject.org · about 7 hours ago

French lawmakers ban social media for under-15s in EU first

gdeltproject.org · about 7 hours ago

Frankreich führt Social-Media-Verbot ein Frankreich führt als erstes EU-Land ein Social-Media-Verbot für Kinder und Jugendliche unter 15 Jahren ein. Nachdem am Dienstagnachmittag bereits der französische Senat mit breiter Mehrheit für das entsprechende Gesetz gestimmt hatte, gab am Abend auch die Nationalversammlung ihre Zustimmung. Das Verbot soll bereits nach den Sommerferien in Kraft treten.

orf.at · about 7 hours ago

Ve Francii schválili zákaz sociálních sítí. ‚Na školách vznikají téměř panické záchvaty, líčí Kalenda Francie se stala první evropskou zemí, v níž bude zakázán přístup k sociálním sítím dětem do 15 let. Odpoledne předlohu schválil Senát, večer i Sněmovna. Prezident Emmanuel Macron označuje sociální sítě za jeden z faktorů, který přispívá k projevům násilí i mezi nezletilými. Situaci pro Radiožurnál z Marseille přiblížil publicista František Kalenda.

irozhlas.cz · about 8 hours ago

Francia prohíbe por ley el acceso a redes sociales a menores de 15 años Leer

expansion · about 8 hours ago

Als erstes EU-Land: Frankreich verbietet soziale Medien für unter 15-Jährige Das Gesetz wurde mit großer Mehrheit verabschiedet und soll nach den Sommerferien in Kraft treten. Doch die genaue Umsetzung ist noch unklar.

tagesspiegel · about 8 hours ago

France becomes first EU country to ban social media for under-15s The French Parliament on Tuesday approved legislation prohibiting children under 15 years of age from accessing social media platforms, making France the first European Union member state to impose such restrictions as part of a broader effort to shield minors from online harms.

yenisafak · about 8 hours ago

France first European country to ban social media access for under-15s

bluesky_The Guardian · about 8 hours ago