# French Lawmakers Adopt Pioneering Social Media Ban For Children Under 15

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/french-lawmakers-adopt-pioneering-social-media-ban-for-children-under-15/
- Published: 2026-07-21T18:35:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-22T15:50:00+00:00
- Original publisher: HuffPost (publisher lean: Far left)
- Original article: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/french-lawmakers-adopt-pioneering-social-media-ban-for-children-under-15_n_6a5fba15e4b06bbe43f4ce0e
- Topics: Elections, Europe, Politics, World

## Key points

- France becomes first EU country to ban social media for under-15s.
- Macron wants the law active by September, pending a constitutional review.
- Critics doubt it can be enforced; child-safety groups still back it.

## Summary

French lawmakers have adopted a bill banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first European Union country to approve a blanket ban of this kind. Both chambers of parliament backed the measure, a flagship policy of President Emmanuel Macron's second term, amid growing global concern over the harmful effects of social media on children's mental health; the legislation also bans mobile phone use in French high schools.

Macron wants the law in force by the start of the new school year in September, though a constitutional review could delay this, and the ban will exempt encyclopaedias and educational or scientific sites. Critics, including the left-wing France Unbowed party and child-protection advisers, have questioned how it would be enforced, particularly around identifying and suspending existing under-15 accounts and verifying ages for new ones. The push follows lawsuits by French families against TikTok over teen suicides, and a government health watchdog report finding 90% of 12-17 year olds use smartphones daily, with 58% for social networking, and links to reduced self-esteem and exposure to self-harm and risky content.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.