France approves social media restrictions for under-15s

In France, a new legal measure taken against the potential negative effects of social media on young people has become a major topic of discussion. The Senate, the upper house of the country's legislature, has approved a bill that introduces restrictions on social media use for children under 15. This step aims to protect the physical, mental, and moral development of the young population.

In the vote held in the Senate, the relevant bill was approved by a majority. According to the bill, access to certain social media platforms for individuals who have not reached the age of 15 will be subject to regulation. Age verification will be made mandatory, especially for platforms that could pose a threat to children's health, and access could be completely blocked for users under 15.

For other social media applications, children's access will be subject to the consent of at least one of their parents. In this way, it is aimed that parents can supervise which social networks their children are active on.

In the legislative process, there is another important stage ahead for the bill. The bill will need to be re-examined by a joint committee consisting of members of the Senate and the National Assembly to reach a consensus on a common text. According to French legislation, for it to become law, both houses must approve the same text.

On the other hand, the text approved by the National Assembly on January 26 was more comprehensive than the final regulation passed by the Senate. The Assembly's proposal envisioned a complete ban on social media use for those under 15 across all platforms.