Social Media Age Limits Gain Attention in Europe as France Considers Ban for Under-15s
France is poised to become the first European nation to restrict social media access for children and teenagers, following Australia’s recent ban on under-16s. The French lower house passed a bill on Monday evening that imposes limitations on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for users under the age of 15.
This legislative move comes as several European countries, including the UK, Denmark, Greece, Spain, and Ireland, are also contemplating similar restrictions due to rising concerns regarding the adverse effects of social networks on youth.
In the UK, a three-month consultation was announced last week to evaluate proposals for raising the minimum age for social media access. This consideration arises amid increasing pressure from both Parliament and the House of Lords. Meanwhile, Denmark’s Prime Minister has voiced the need for action, asserting that smartphones are robbing “children’s childhood.”
The French bill, introduced by Laure Miller, a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, received overwhelming support, passing with 116 votes in favor and 23 against. It is expected to move quickly through the French Upper House, with the aim of being enacted by September 1, aligning with the start of the new school year.
In addition to regulating social media, the bill contains a provision to ban mobile phones in high schools, reinforcing existing restrictions already in place for kindergartens and middle schools.
Should the timeline be met, France could set a global precedent as the second country in the world—and the first in Europe—to implement such limitations on social media access for young people.
Support for the bill comes from President Macron, who expressed his backing in a video address prior to the vote. “The brains of our children and adolescents are not for sale,” he stated. “Their emotions are not for sale or to be manipulated, whether by American platforms or Chinese algorithms.”
Despite challenges in pushing through other reforms, the social media bill has garnered significant cross-party support in a divided parliament.
