France Fires First Shot in Europe! Banning Social Media for Under 15s, TikTok and YouTube Affected

The French Senate passed a bill today banning children under the age of 15 from using social media. Global concerns are rising over the impact of social media on the health and safety of minors. According to Reuters, if the lower house of parliament passes the bill as expected later today, France will become the second country after Australia to adopt similar measures. Australia led the way in December last year by banning social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube for users under 16.

Anne Le Hénanff, the junior minister responsible for artificial intelligence (AI), told senators: "France is setting a precedent by becoming the first country in Europe to introduce a digital age of majority." French President Emmanuel Macron called on young people in April to turn off their smartphones and read more books to become better citizens. He hopes the bill will take effect before the start of the new school year.

Under the new law, children under 15 will be prohibited from creating social media accounts starting September 1. Social media platforms will have an additional four months to shut down existing accounts. Furthermore, these platforms must implement age verification mechanisms approved by France’s data privacy regulator.

Social media platforms generally oppose blanket bans, emphasizing that they have already implemented age restrictions and other safeguards to protect young users. However, they have also pledged to comply with the government’s new regulations.

The European Commission is currently working on its own regulations to restrict social media across Europe to protect young people. It will also have a say on whether France’s new law complies with existing European regulations.

Speaking about the lack of regulation on social media, Macron said at an event in April: "We left you in this jungle, and it has taken away your attention. We must slow down, help you grow up, and above all, become citizens." He added: "That’s why we want to send the message that under the age of 15, social media use must stop."