France has approved a landmark law restricting children below the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, becoming the first European country to introduce a nationwide ban of its kind.
The legislation, passed by both the French Senate and National Assembly, will take effect in phases, with new users under 15 prevented from creating social media accounts from September, while mandatory age verification for all users will begin in January 2027.
Under the new rules, everyone in France would be required to prove they are at least 15 years old before accessing social media platforms.
The move is part of government efforts to address growing concerns over the impact of social media use on children’s mental health, online safety and exposure to harmful content.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the legislation, which was part of his earlier commitment to introduce stronger protections for young people online before the end of his presidency.
Once implemented, social media companies operating in France will be required to adopt age-verification systems approved by the country’s privacy regulator.
French Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff defended the timeline for implementation, arguing that the technology needed to enforce the restrictions was already available.
“Because age-verification tools already exist,” Le Hénanff said, explaining why the government believes the new system can be introduced quickly.
However, the legislation has faced criticism from some lawmakers, digital rights advocates and technology experts who raised concerns over privacy, the accuracy of age-verification systems and the possibility of young users bypassing the restrictions.
France’s move followed Australia’s decision to ban social media access for children under 16 in December, although reports suggest many young users have continued finding ways to access online platforms.
Australia’s eSafety Commission reported in March that about seven out of 10 children under 16 who already had social media accounts before the ban still maintained some level of access.
Professor Tama Leaver, an Internet Studies expert at Curtin University in Western Australia, described Australia’s experience as a “bit of an experiment,” saying the restrictions showed that such measures could be introduced but had struggled to achieve their technical objectives.
Leaver advised that young people should be involved in discussions about online regulation, saying restrictions should be developed “with them” rather than imposed “to them.”
He added that France’s approach could prove more effective because it requires age verification for all users, but warned that the policy could create new privacy challenges and potentially push young people toward less regulated online spaces.
The French law comes amid increasing efforts by governments around the world to tighten controls on children’s access to social media.
In the United Kingdom, former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans in June to introduce similar restrictions for under-16s from January 2027, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also proposed delaying social media access for children and indicated that further legislation may follow.
