France's lawmakers vote to ban social media for under-15s

"The draft bill proposes banning under-15s from social networks and "social networking functionalities" embedded within broader platforms. It, however, excludes online encyclopedias and educational platforms. Platforms would be required to put in place effective age-verification mechanisms to block access to young teenagers. The legislation also extends an existing ban on smartphones in junior schools to also cover high schools. Authorities want the measures to be enforced from the start of the 2026 school year for new accounts."

"President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban saying it's necessary to protect French children and teenagers from excessive screen time. He hailed Monday's vote as a "major step" and stressed in a post on X that "our children's brains are not for sale. Not to American platforms, nor to Chinese networks." France would be the second country to impose such a ban after Australia recently barred social media for children under 16 years old."

France's National Assembly voted 116 to 23 to pass a bill banning children under 15 from social media and related "social networking functionalities." The proposal excludes online encyclopedias and educational platforms but requires platforms to implement effective age-verification systems to block under-15s. The legislation also extends an existing smartphone ban from junior schools to high schools and targets enforcement for new accounts at the start of the 2026 school year. The measures are presented as protections against excessive screen time, mental-health risks, cyberbullying and exposure to violent content; France would follow Australia in imposing such age-based limits.

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