Macron attacks algorithms. France is one step away from blocking social media for children

The French National Assembly – the lower house of parliament – supported a key provision in the draft law banning the use of social networks by teenagers under 15 years of age.

The MPs adopted an amendment regarding Article 1 of the Act. It stipulates that “access to online social networking services provided by an online platform is prohibited to minors under the age of 15.” 116 deputies voted for the amendment. 23 were against.

If the ban comes into force, France will become the second country, after Australia, to adopt this type of legislation. In December 2025, Australia banned people under 16 from using social media platforms.

– The aim is to protect the mental health of our young people, as we realize that social networks are increasingly shaping their minds, said Laure Miller, MEP of the project on Monday.

Under the bill, only online encyclopedias and catalogs with educational content would be exempt from the ban. The proposed regulations also include a ban on the use of cell phones in high schools. France already bans the use of mobile phones in primary and secondary schools, but some secondary schools are also testing such restrictions.

The ban enjoys quite broad consensus in the National Assembly, but is opposed by some on the left. The far-left France Untamed (LFI) submitted a motion to reject the project before the debates. LFI MP Rodrigo Arenas announced that the aim of the bill is to “make parents, children and teachers feel guilty”, and that the target should be “dealers who create addictions with their algorithms”.

Over the weekend, President Macron emphasized in a video published that the project is intended to convey a “very clear message.”

– The point is that the brain of our children and teenagers, their emotions, are not subject to sale or manipulation: neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms, Macron said.

The changes would come into force from September 2026. The government would like them to come into force at the beginning of the next school year. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who is the head of the parliamentary faction of Macron's Rebirth party, said on Monday that he hopes that the upper house – the Senate – will adopt the project in mid-February.

Once the bill enters into force, platforms would have until December 31 to deactivate accounts that do not respect age restrictions.

From Paris Anna Wróbel (PAP)

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