France Advances Legislation to Ban Social Media for Children Under 15

France Targets Under-15s with Proposed Social Media Ban

France is currently debating significant legislation aimed at prohibiting social media access for children under the age of 15. The proposed law, which began committee debate on January 13, 2026, is championed by President Emmanuel Macron and seeks to address mounting concerns regarding the mental health and well-being of young people. If passed, the ban could take effect nationwide starting in September 2026, aligning with the French school year.

This legislative push positions France among a growing number of nations, including Australia, that are taking direct action to regulate children's digital lives amidst widespread worries about the impact of algorithm-driven platforms on young users.

Details of the Proposed Legislation and Enforcement

The core of the proposed French law consists of two main articles. The first would make it illegal for social media platforms to provide their services to children under 15 years old. This obligation would fall directly on the platforms themselves, rather than on parents or schools, requiring them to implement effective age verification systems.

The second article focuses on schools, extending an existing ban on mobile phones into high schools. Mobile phones are already prohibited in French elementary and middle schools since 2018, though enforcement has varied. This measure is seen as complementary to the social media ban, reinforcing the idea of schools as spaces largely free from digital distractions.

Enforcement of the new regulations would be overseen by Arcom, France's audiovisual and digital communications regulator. Platforms found in breach of the law could face substantial fines, potentially up to 1% of their global revenues.

Rationale: Mental Health and Digital Risks

The French government's initiative is driven by a range of concerns, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, addictive design features, and sleep disruption among adolescents. Studies, including research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), suggest that heavy smartphone use is associated with significant learning delays among students.

France's public health watchdog, ANSES, recently concluded that social media has numerous negative effects on adolescents, particularly girls, although it is not the sole factor in declining mental health. President Macron has repeatedly emphasized that protecting minors in the digital space is a priority for his administration, presenting this as one of the final major reforms of his presidency.

International Context and Implementation Challenges

France's move follows Australia's pioneering decision to impose a social media ban on children under 16, with that law taking effect on December 10, 2025. Australian regulators reported removing access to approximately 4.7 million accounts flagged as belonging to children under 16 in the first half of December 2025.

Previous attempts by France to regulate children's social media use have faced challenges. A 2023 law establishing a 'digital age of consent' at 15, requiring parental authorization, was never fully enforced and was blocked due to conflicts with the EU's Digital Services Act. Despite these past hurdles and ongoing debates among experts regarding the effectiveness and potential unintended consequences of such bans, President Macron has indicated that France 'cannot wait' for EU-wide solutions and intends to proceed with national legislation.