French lawmakers have approved a bill banning the use of social media for children under the age of 15. The law is expected to come into force in September, at the start of the new school year.
The measure, strongly backed by President Emmanuel Macron, also prohibits the use of mobile phones in secondary schools and is seen as a step toward protecting children from the harmful effects of social networks, including reduced self-esteem and exposure to dangerous content.
The bill is aligned with the European Union’s Digital Services Act and comes at a time when other European countries, such as the United Kingdom, are also considering similar measures.
Health reports in France show that the majority of teenagers use smartphones daily to access the internet, while some families have filed lawsuits against TikTok over suicide cases allegedly linked to harmful content.
The ban does not apply to educational or scientific platforms. Examples such as Australia—where social media has been banned for users under 16 and millions of accounts have been shut down—demonstrate that this issue is gaining momentum globally.
