France is preparing to join a growing international movement to restrict children’s access to social media, with a new draft law proposing to ban platforms for users under-15 by September 2026.
The legislation, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, would make France the second major nation to impose such restrictions, following Australia’s ground-breaking social media ban for under-16s that took effect in December 2025.
Australia’s world-first legislation, which began enforcement earlier this month, prohibits children under 16 from accessing major platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. The law imposes fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (approximately $32 million) on platforms that fail to prevent underage access.
The French draft law contains two key provisions: criminalizing the provision of social media services to minors under 15, and extending mobile phone bans to secondary schools. France already prohibits mobile phones in pre-schools and middle schools since 2018, though enforcement remains limited.
“Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,” the government stated, citing concerns about inappropriate content exposure, cyber-harassment, and sleep pattern disruption.
President Macron announced earlier this month that parliament would begin debating the proposal in January, declaring digital protection of minors a government priority.
Several other nations are considering similar measures.
Norway has proposed banning social media for children under 15, citing impacts on sleep, mental health, and concentration. The United Kingdom has described an under-16 social media ban as “on the table,” with ministers actively considering legislation
Denmark has announced aims to ban social media access for children under 15 and the European Parliament members have stated children should be at least 16 to access social media platforms
France faces significant enforcement hurdles. A 2023 law establishing a “digital legal age” of 15 was blocked by European Union regulations. The French Senate has separately backed measures requiring parental authorisation for 13-16 year olds to register on social media sites, though this proposal still requires National Assembly approval.
The government must navigate complex questions of international law compliance and practical enforcement that have challenged previous digital protection efforts.
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