France Bans Social Media for Under-15s in 279-81 Vote, First in EU
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 22
France Bans Social Media for Under-15s in 279-81 Vote, First in EU
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 22
Summary
France's parliament approved a nationwide ban preventing children under 15 from opening new social media accounts from September, with existing accounts to be blocked from January 2027.
The law also requires platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to add age-verification checks and bars high school students from having phones from next year.
Macron pushed the measure after France's public health watchdog said social media harms teenagers' mental health, especially girls, making online child safety a late-term domestic priority.
Enforcement remains the main obstacle: critics say children can evade checks with VPNs, fake birth dates or older users' accounts, while privacy groups warn stricter verification could expose sensitive data.
Australia's under-16 ban has sharpened doubts after about 70% of parents told regulators their children still accessed platforms, but France is now only the second country worldwide to adopt a nationwide restriction.
Australia’s youth social media ban is already failing. Can France’s new law for under-15s actually succeed?
Will the tech needed for France's ban destroy online anonymity and create a new era of digital surveillance?
France’s Digital Majority: The 2026 Under-15 Social Media Ban and Its Impact on EU Child Protection Policy
Overview
France has taken the lead in Europe by establishing a 'digital majority,' setting an online age limit to better protect children and requiring mandatory age verification for adult sites. This move positions France at the forefront of efforts to regulate children's online access and sets a precedent within the European Union. Other countries like Spain and Greece have also introduced their own age verification systems, but France is the first to implement such a comprehensive measure. These national actions highlight the urgent need for a unified EU approach, as the European Commission now seeks to harmonize these initiatives into a common framework for child online safety.