France has become the first EU country to ban social media access for children under 15, after parliament approved a sweeping bill championed by Emmanuel Macron as a flagship reform of his final term.
The vote, which passed the National Assembly by 279 to 81 on Tuesday, blocks children from creating accounts on platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram from 1 September. Existing accounts must be closed by January 2027, according to the legislation.
“France votes to ban under-15s from social media, first EU country, with enforcement planned from September.”
“France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers,” Macron said in a video posted on social media, hailing “a major step forward”. He added on X: “The Constitutional Council must now rule on it, and then it will be time to take action to make this measure a reality and protect our children online.”
The digital minister, Anne Le Hénanff, said before the vote that the timeline was realistic “because age-verification tools already exist” and others are still in the works, with the onus on platforms to enforce the rule. “For four months, all of us in France will have to prove our age,” she told journalists. “If someone is under 15, the account will be closed.” She also gave assurances that users’ personal data would be protected.
The ban is part of a broader effort that includes a ban on mobile phones in high schools, set to take effect at the beginning of the French school year in September. Children’s advocates and parents applauded the vote. “We’ve been campaigning for this bill from the start because, frankly, we have no other option, no other way to counter tech giants,” said Gaëlle Berbonde, a 52-year-old who lives in the Paris region. “The only thing we can do is protect our children, just as we protect our children from drinking alcohol.”
The move comes amid multiplying warnings over the harmful effects of digital content on adolescents. France’s public health watchdog last year said platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were harmful to adolescents, particularly girls, though this was not the sole reason for their declining mental health.
France’s decision follows a similar announcement in the UK, where under-16s will be banned from accessing social media platforms under a new law expected to come into force by spring next year. The UK ban, announced in June, will target Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
With the Constitutional Council yet to rule, the question now is whether the ban can withstand legal scrutiny — and whether it will inspire other EU nations to follow France’s lead.
