France is becoming the first European Union country to ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media, after the French parliament approved the relevant bill yesterday.
President Emmanuel Macron has promoted the ban as a key reform of his final term in office and has pledged to implement it by September.
“France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers,” Macron said in a video posted on social media, describing the development as “a major step forward.”
As a result, from 1 September 2026, children under 15 will no longer be able to create social media accounts. From January 2027, the ban will also apply to existing accounts.
A nationwide ban on social media use by children under the age of 15 will also take effect in Greece on 1 January 2027.
Digital Affairs Minister Anne Le Hénanff said ahead of the vote that the timetable was realistic “because age-verification tools already exist,” while others are still being developed. She added that responsibility for enforcing the rule would rest with the platforms themselves.
Responding to concerns over privacy, as users will be required to verify their age, the government has assured the public that personal data will be protected.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has also unveiled an age-verification app, which EU member states have begun testing in recent months.
Source: Guardian
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