France Approves Bill to Ban Social Media for Children Under 15

France is on the verge of becoming the first European Union nation to prohibit social media use for children under 15. The country's parliament has approved a bill that also includes a ban on mobile phones in schools, marking a significant step toward regulating digital access for minors.

The proposed legislation, which still requires approval from France's Constitutional Council, aims to mitigate the negative effects of social media on children's health. Beyond restricting social media access, the bill addresses mobile phone usage in educational settings and introduces new rules for social media advertising. French regulators are also exploring age verification technologies to ensure users meet the minimum age requirement for creating accounts.

President Emmanuel Macron has urged for the law's implementation by the start of the new academic year in September. This move aligns France with other nations considering similar restrictions, including the UK, Denmark, and Canada. However, the effectiveness of such policies remains a subject of debate, with studies in Australia indicating that many children still access social media despite existing bans, potentially due to ineffective age verification systems.

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The new law aims to reduce the negative impact of social media use on children's health