French lawmakers have officially enacted a ban on social media access for children under the age of 15, a move prompted by growing global concerns regarding the impact of online platforms on the health and safety of minors, as reported by Reuters.
This legislation makes France the first country in Europe to implement such a measure, following Australia’s lead, which introduced the world’s first ban on social media access for individuals under 16 in December.
During the parliamentary proceedings, Anne Le Hénanff, the Deputy Minister for Artificial Intelligence, stated, “France is paving the way as the first country in Europe to adopt a digital adulthood.” Both chambers of the French Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly, approved the ban on Tuesday.
President Emmanuel Macron, who urged young people in April to put down their phones and read more to become better citizens, aims for the law to be effective by the start of the upcoming school year.
According to the new law, children under 15 will be prohibited from opening accounts on social media platforms starting on September 1. Social media companies will have an additional four months to close existing accounts held by minors. Furthermore, these platforms will be required to implement an age verification system that meets the standards set by the French data protection authority.
Social media companies generally oppose blanket bans and argue that they already have measures in place to protect younger users, including age restrictions. However, they have committed to comply if governments enact such prohibitions.
The European Commission is also working on regulations to govern social media across Europe aimed at protecting youth and will play a role in ensuring that France’s new law aligns with existing European legislation.
In an April event addressing adolescents, Macron remarked, “I left you in this jungle, and it stole your attention,” referring to the lack of rules governing social media. He emphasized the need to slow down and assist young people in becoming adults and, most importantly, responsible citizens. He further stated, “What we want to do is to say that, before the age of 15, it’s time to be done with social media.”
Children using mobile phones.
