French Teenagers Banned from Using Social Media Until Age 15
The French Parliament has passed a bill that would bar under-15s from using social media, a measure officials justify as a health protection. The text still needs the green light from the Constitutional Council (i.e., a final legal clearance) before becoming enforceable.
If validated, France would be the first EU country to push this far — though Australia has already experimented with comparable rules. The law also limits smartphone use on school grounds and tightens rules on how platforms can advertise to young users.
Practical questions abound. Specialists point out age checks on many sites are rudimentary and easy to evade (e.g., self-declared birthdates, bogus IDs or simple workarounds), so enforcement could prove weak. There are also gray areas about parental responsibility, cross-border apps, and the tech firms’ willingness to cooperate.
Other governments are watching; some in Europe and Canada have signaled interest in similar steps. Policymakers frame the move as curbing online harms, but whether it will work in practice — or just push activity to less-regulated corners — remains an open, contested issue.