France bans social media for children under 15: Here’s what the new law says

French lawmakers have banned children under 15 from accessing social media in the country. The new law was first passed by the French Senate on Tuesday, followed by approval in the National Assembly by 279 votes to 81.

Notably, France has now become the first country in the European Union to pass a sweeping law restricting access to social media for children under 15.

Why is France banning social media for children under 15?

The move by French lawmakers comes amid growing concerns over the impact of social media on children’s mental health. According to France’s health watchdog, around 90% of children aged 12 to 17 use smartphones daily to access the internet, while more than half spend between two and five hours a day on their devices.

The watchdog also found excessive social media use to be linked to a variety of issues, including lower self-esteem and greater exposure to harmful content, including material related to self-harm, suicide and drug use.

The European Commission had earlier found that the French law overlapped with the Digital Services Act. Lawmakers then held final negotiations on Monday and reached an agreement to amend the legislation, which was then submitted to both chambers for the final vote, AP reported.

What will be banned?

According to a Bloomberg report, children under 15 won’t be able to create new accounts from September, while the full ban for existing profiles will come into effect from January next year. The ban is likely to affect many popular social media platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Snap, X, YouTube and TikTok.

However, the bill will not apply to online encyclopaedias or educational and scientific directories.

Macron hails new law

“I had committed to it, and now it’s been voted on: social media will be banned for those under 15 starting back-to-school. Thanks to the parliamentarians,” wrote French President Emmanuel Macron in a post on X.

“France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers.”

Notably, Australia was the first country to ban social media accounts for users under 16 in 2024 and said that platforms would face fines of up to Australian $50 million for failing to prevent underage users from creating accounts.

Meanwhile, Spain has proposed restricting social media access for children under 16, while Denmark and Greece have announced similar plans. The United Kingdom has also said it is considering similar measures.

Earlier this month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called for stricter limits on children’s use of social media. An EU expert panel has recommended banning children under 13 from accessing social platforms until technology companies can demonstrate that their services are safe for younger users.