France Bans Social Media Use for Children Under 15

On January 27, the French National Assembly held an overnight session and passed a bill with 130 votes in favor and 21 against, banning children under 15 from using social media. The bill will next be sent to the French Senate for consideration, after which it will become law. President Emmanuel Macron has strongly supported the measure, viewing it as a way to protect children from excessive screen time.

The legislation will also ban mobile phone use in high schools, making France the second country after Australia to adopt such measures. With the growth of social media, concerns have risen about excessive screen time harming children’s development and causing mental health issues.

“Our children and teenagers’ emotions should not be sold or manipulated, whether by U.S. platforms or Chinese algorithms,” Macron said in a video broadcast on Saturday.

Authorities plan to enforce these measures for newly registered accounts starting in the 2026 school year. Macron added that “social media platforms must deactivate existing accounts that do not comply with the age limits by December 31.”