Rabat – French lawmakers moved decisively over last night passing a proposal that would bar children under 15 from accessing social media.
The initiative, strongly supported by the government, aims to protect the mental health of adolescents.
President Emmanuel Macron described it as “a major step, because our children’s brains are not for sale, neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks.”
The proposal must still receive approval from the Senate before it becomes law.
The National Assembly approved the measure with 130 votes in favor and 21 against. Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff promised that the Senate would examine the proposal “in the coming weeks.”
Former Prime Minister and Renaissance party leader Gabriel Attal commended the move, saying France is “opening the path for others in Europe.”
If adopted, France would follow Australia, which in December 2025 became the first country to ban social media for children under 16.
The government plans to enforce the ban for all new accounts at the start of the 2026 school year and to require an effective age verification system for all users by January 1, 2027.
Exemptions for messaging apps and education platforms
The law will prohibit access to social networks for minors under 15. It will not apply to certain educational platforms or private messaging services such as WhatsApp, according to Deputy Laure Miller, who sponsored the proposal.
The debate in parliament exposed divisions. Arnaud Saint-Martin of the La France Insoumise party criticized the law as “digital paternalism,” while ecologist Steevy Gustave warned that the approach was “overly simplistic.”
Lawmakers also revised the plan to regulate mobile phones in high schools. Schools must now define “the places and conditions for phone use” in their internal rules.
In the absence of clear regulations, students must keep phones off during lessons and hallways, while use remains allowed in designated areas of the schoolyard.
Mental health concerns drive reform
National health authorities have repeatedly warned about the risks social media poses to teenagers.
Platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram expose young users to cyberbullying, constant comparison, violent content, and mechanisms that disrupt sleep and attention.
The draft law underwent adjustments after the Council of State flagged concerns over an overly broad ban.
Effective age verification will be crucial to enforce the measure, and European authorities are already working on unified systems.
