France approved a project to ban social networks for minors

The former prime minister and current leader of the ruling Renaissance party in the Assembly, Gabriel Attal, indicated that he expects the Senate to pass the law in mid-February.

According to the planned timetable, tech companies would have until the end of December to deactivate existing accounts that do not comply with the age limit. Attal defended the initiative as a tool to protect young people's mental health and curb the influence of foreign actors that, through social media, seek to shape public opinion.

The legislation also extends the ban on the use of mobile phones in educational centers, expanding it to secondary schools. France had already banned the use of mobile phones in schools in 2018 for students between 11 and 15 years old, although some political leaders have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of tightening these restrictions without first improving their enforcement.

Despite a certain degree of social and political support, the initiative has sparked criticism. Segments of the left and child protection associations believe that the measure is excessively restrictive and call for efforts to focus on holding platforms accountable. Meanwhile, public opinion is largely in favor of the bill, although positions among adolescents remain divided.

Educational sites and online encyclopedias are excluded from the ban. To ensure compliance with the rule, platforms will have to implement effective age verification systems that are compatible with European Union legislation, a technical challenge that is still under development at the EU level.

The National Assembly of France approved a bill that bans access to social media for minors under 15 in response to growing concern about the impact of excessive screen use on the mental health and development of children and adolescents.

The initiative, driven by President Emmanuel Macron, was adopted by a broad parliamentary majority and must now be examined by the Senate before it enters into force.

The French president welcomed the vote as a "major step" for the protection of youth, stating that minors' emotions must not be "sold or manipulated" by the algorithms of major digital platforms.

Macron believes that social media contribute to the rise in youth violence, the deterioration of psychological well-being, and the loss of intellectual autonomy among young people.

If it is definitively approved, France would become the second country in the world to impose a general ban of this kind, after Australia, which in December implemented a similar ban for minors under 16. The French government aims for the measure to enter into force at the start of the 2026 school year, with a progressive timetable for its implementation.

The legislative text stipulates that minors under 15 will not be allowed to access social media platforms or social interaction features integrated into other digital services.