Social media ban from France: It becomes the first EU country

Social media use has been banned for children under 15 in France. The bill, which prohibits social media use for children under 15, was passed in the Senate with 243 votes to 2, and in the National Assembly with 279 votes to 81. The process of the Constitutional Council is expected to be completed for the law to enter into force.

Supported by French President Emmanuel Macron and aimed at protecting children from harmful online content, the law sets the "digital age of majority" in France at 15.

While the French government aims for the law to be ready for the new academic year, the ban is planned to be implemented for new accounts starting September 1, 2026. For users under 15 who already have social media accounts, a 4-month transition period will be granted to social media platforms. Following this period, existing accounts will also undergo an age verification process starting January 1, 2027.

Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat are the targets

Services that offer opportunities for sharing, commenting, following, interacting, and community building between users, such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat, will be covered by the law in their capacity as social networks.

For services like YouTube and WhatsApp, a more careful distinction will be made. It is stated that video viewing or messaging functions are not the direct targets of the ban, whereas features that allow commenting, posting, and social network interaction may be considered within the scope of the regulation.

Some platforms will be exempt from the law

The law also includes some exceptions. Online encyclopedias, educational content, and open-source education or software sharing platforms have been excluded from the ban. Nevertheless, which services will be included in the application due to their social network function will become clearer once age verification systems are implemented.

The responsibility for age verification will lie with the platforms

One of the most critical aspects of the law is how age verification will be carried out, and the government has announced that this responsibility will lie with social media platforms. Minister for Digital Affairs Anne Le Henanff said, "We are placing the responsibility on social networks. They will have to find the technical solution to verify age."

Stating that the implementation could begin on September 1 for new accounts, Le Henanff said, "It could be operational on September 1 because age verification tools exist," noting that existing technical solutions such as France Identite and Docaposte, a subsidiary of La Poste, could be used. Le Henanff added, "We French will have to prove our age for four months. If we are under 15, the account will be closed."

Personal data debate

Addressing the debate on the protection of personal data, Le Henanff said, "The system verifying the age will not know why it is being requested or for which platform it is being used. The social network will also not have any personal information about the person applying to it."

Stating that in the model the government is focusing on, a third-party trusted intermediary will verify the user's age and send only a binary response to the platform regarding whether the person is under 15, Le Henanff said, "It will say yes or no. It is a binary answer."

Le Henanff also stated that they do not want platforms to impose a single age verification method on users, saying, "We do not want a single age verification technique to be proposed. We want at least two options."

"We will be the first country in Europe to introduce a digital age of majority"

Describing the regulation as a historic step in terms of protecting children online, Le Henanff said, "France will be the first country in Europe to introduce a digital age of majority to better protect our children online."

Mobile phone use in high schools will also be banned

In addition to the social media ban, the law also includes regulations regarding the use of mobile phones in high schools. The mobile phone ban currently applied in primary and middle schools in France will be expanded to include high schools starting from the 2026-2027 academic year.

Accordingly, the use of mobile phones by high school students within the school will be banned. Some exceptions may be introduced through school internal regulations. The government stated that this step aims to help students focus better on their lessons.

Le Henanff said, "The feedback from the field is very clear: without phones, students are more attentive, more focused, and more ready to learn."

"This text will give our children back the childhood that was taken from them"

Member of Parliament Laure Miller, who prepared the bill, also stated during the voting process that the regulation aims to protect children, saying, "This text will give our children back the childhood that was taken from them."

"We left you alone in this forest and it stole your attention"

President Emmanuel Macron also stated in a previous statement that social media affects children's attention and development, saying, "We left you alone in this forest and it stole your attention," and summarized the purpose of the regulation with the words, "No more social media before the age of 15."

Arcom regulation removed from the law

The bill was amended several times during the parliamentary process due to European Union law. The Senate had previously proposed a system that divided social media platforms into two, with platforms considered harmful to children's physical, mental, or moral development being placed on a "blacklist," and other rules being applied to some other platforms. In this model, giving a role to Arcom, France's regulatory body for audiovisual and digital communication, was considered, but the European Commission expressed concerns that some provisions might conflict with the European Union's Digital Services Act. Following this, deputies and senators removed this role given to Arcom in the compromise text. Thus, in the final text, a general social media ban formula for those under 15 was adopted instead of a platform-based "blacklist" system.

Its feasibility has become a subject of debate

Despite the passing of the law, debates continue regarding how the implementation will work. In particular, the reliability of age verification systems, the possibility of children bypassing the ban with VPNs or accounts opened in someone else's name, and the impact of the obligation for all users to prove their age on private life are at the center of the criticisms.

"This is not only a hypocritical but also a dangerous law"

Communist MP Soumya Bourouaha said, "International experience requires caution. States' attempts to implement such a measure have resulted in failure."

Socialist MP Arthur Delaporte said, "The methods of age control remain largely unclear. With only one month left until the text comes into force, these have still not been clarified."

Louis Boyard, an MP for the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, reacted sharply to the regulation, saying, "This is not only a hypocritical but also a dangerous law." Referring to the Australian example, Boyard argued that the ban could be easily bypassed and claimed that the regulation could turn into a mandatory identity verification for all users.

Children's screen usage had come to the agenda with reports

In the background of the law are growing concerns in France regarding children's screen and social media usage. According to assessments by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses), 1 in every 2 children in the country uses a smartphone for between 2 and 5 hours a day, and this usage is often linked to social media.

According to the 2025 Digital Barometer, one of the annual surveys on digital usage in France, 58 percent of young people in the 12-17 age group state that they use social media every day. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) also points out that adolescents are more emotionally and behaviorally fragile than adults, emphasizing that social media usage can lead to more sensitive consequences in this age group.

In Anses' assessments, it is stated that social media usage can be linked to sleep disorders, weakened self-esteem, risky behaviors, and the effects of cyberbullying on mental health. The fact that some families in France have initiated legal proceedings against platforms due to suicide cases they claim are linked to content their children were exposed to on social media has also fueled the debates.

It will be a test for Europe

The law passed by France is seen as part of a broader debate in Europe regarding children's social media usage. The European Commission is also trying to prepare a more gradual and common framework regarding children's access to online platforms.

The European Commission's approach is taking shape in the direction that member states can set their own age limits, but the obligations imposed on platforms must be compatible with European Union law. For this reason, the implementation in France will serve as a test in terms of both technical age verification systems and EU law.

News Source: 12punto