France's parliament approved a law banning social media access for children under 15, making it the first European country to enact such a measure [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The law passed with a vote of 279 to 81 in the National Assembly [2, 3].
The legislation will roll out in two stages. From September 1, 2026, children under 15 will be prohibited from creating new social media accounts. Starting January 2027, existing accounts operated by users under 15 must be closed or undergo verified age checks [1, 2, 6, 4, 5]. French Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff said, "If someone is under 15, the account will be closed" and added the timeline is realistic because "age-verification tools already exist" [4, 2].
The ban applies to major platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube but excludes online encyclopedias and educational websites [7, 8, 9, 4, 5]. Platforms will be required to implement age-verification systems approved by the French privacy regulator to enforce the restrictions [1, 2, 9, 4].
The law also includes a ban on mobile phone use in high schools starting from the new school year in September 2026 [3, 4, 5].
President Emmanuel Macron championed the restrictions as a key reform of his final term, saying, "France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers" and "That's why what we want to do is say that before 15 years old, no more social media." He emphasized the goal to "slow down and help you become adults, and above all citizens" [1, 7, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Some left-wing lawmakers opposed the law, citing concerns about constitutionality, privacy rights, and the rapid timeline for enforcement [1, 2, 4]. Similar bans exist elsewhere, such as Australia, which introduced restrictions for under-16s last December, though children there often still have some access despite the rules [1, 9].
Before the law can take full effect, the French Constitutional Council will review it to ensure its compliance with legal standards [2, 4, 5]. The first phase begins September 1, with no new social media accounts allowed for under-15s from that date.
