France Approves Ban on Social Media for Children Under 15

France has taken a significant step in regulating online activity for minors by approving a ban on social media for children under the age of 15. This landmark decision makes France the first country in Europe to enact such a law, following Australia's lead, which implemented a similar ban for under-16s in December.

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France opens the way by being the first country in Europe to adopt a digital majority.

The legislation, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, aims to protect young people from the potentially harmful effects of social media. Starting September 1, children younger than 15 will be prohibited from creating social media accounts. Platforms will have a four-month grace period to close existing accounts belonging to underage users and must implement age verification methods approved by the French privacy regulator.

Junior minister for AI, Anne Le Hénanff, hailed the ban as France pioneering a "digital majority." President Macron has previously urged young people to disconnect from their devices, emphasizing the importance of reading and becoming engaged citizens. "We left you in this jungle and it robbed you of your attention," Macron stated in April, addressing the perceived lack of rules governing social media.

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We left you in this jungle and it robbed you of your attention.

The French ban arrives amid escalating global concerns regarding the impact of social media on the mental and physical well-being of minors. Social media platforms typically oppose blanket bans, highlighting their existing protective measures for younger users. However, they have also indicated a willingness to comply with government-mandated regulations.

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We need to slow down and help you become adults and, above all, citizens.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is also progressing with its own measures to curb social media use among the under-16s. The UK government plans to introduce a default overnight curfew for users aged 16 and 17, restricting app access between midnight and 6 a.m. unless settings are changed. Features designed to encourage continuous scrolling will also be disabled by default. Technology minister Liz Kendall stated these measures are crucial for helping young people get adequate sleep, focus on their studies, and spend more quality time with family and friends. Online safety minister Kanishka Narayan added that tech companies will be legally obligated to enforce the curfew and implement more robust age checks, facing severe regulatory sanctions if they fail to comply.

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These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college and spend more quality time with family and friends.