Social media ban for children under 15
France becomes first European country to ban social media for children under 15.
France has become the first country in the European Union to ban social media for children under 15, with its parliament approving the legislation by an overwhelming majority of 279 votes.
Under the new law, children under 15 will be prevented from creating new social media accounts on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat from September, and existing accounts will be blocked from January 2027, according to the legislation.
Starting next year, high schools will be banned from having phones, and social platforms will be required to introduce age verification checks. French primary and secondary school students are already banned from having phones.
“France is leading Europe in protecting our children and young people,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, hailing the legislation as a milestone.
Last January, French President Macron tweeted that “French children’s brains are not for sale to American platforms or Chinese networks.”
Earlier this year, France’s public health watchdog concluded that social media was having a negative impact on the mental health of adolescents, especially girls.
Critics argue that the biggest challenge is enforcement. Many question whether age verification technology is strong enough to prevent children from accessing social media.
Privacy campaigners have warned that stronger age checks could require users to provide more personal information, while others argue that the ban could push young people to less regulated platforms rather than reduce the time they spend online.
Some critics believe that some young people can get around the restrictions by using VPNs, fake birthdays or accounts created by older friends or family members.
Australia became the first country to impose such a measure when it banned social media for those under 16 at the end of 2025. But in March, nearly 70% of parents polled by Australia’s internet regulator said their children would find ways to get around age restrictions and stay on the platforms.
Last month, the UK announced plans to introduce a ban on social media accounts for those under 16 from January 2027.
While France is the first EU member state to introduce such a ban, it is unlikely to be the last.
A number of other countries, including Canada, Denmark and Malaysia, are also enacting their own laws to restrict children’s access to social media.
However, France has made online child safety a key issue in the final years of President Macron’s presidency, and the ban will be one of the last major domestic reforms he implements.
S. Jayamini ✍️
