France Bans Social Media Use for Children Under 15 to Protect Their Well-Being
The French Parliament has passed a new law prohibiting children under the age of 15 from creating accounts and using social media platforms, aiming to safeguard their health and security.
According to Reuters, the French Senate and National Assembly approved the legislation on Tuesday amid growing concerns over the impact of social media on the mental health and safety of children. The restrictions will come into effect from September 1.
Platform owners will have four months to block accounts of users under 15. Additionally, these networks are required to implement age verification systems approved by France’s privacy protection authority.
President Emmanuel Macron has called for the law to be enforced before the start of the next school year and previously urged young people to reduce mobile phone usage. France is the first European country to enact such a ban; earlier, Australia restricted access to certain platforms for users under 16. The European Commission is also considering regulations to protect young people and will assess whether France’s law complies with EU legislation.
