France Plans Social Media Ban for Children Under 15

France is preparing a renewed push to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media, with the government aiming to introduce the measure in 2026, according to French media and international news agencies.

The proposed legislation, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, would make it illegal for social media platforms to offer their services to under-15s and would extend existing restrictions on mobile phone use to high schools. 

A draft of the bill, seen by Agence France-Presse, cites multiple studies linking excessive screen time and unrestricted social media use to mental health risks, cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content.

France previously attempted to introduce a “digital legal age” of 15 in 2023, requiring platforms to verify users’ ages or deactivate accounts unless parental consent was granted. However, the initiative stalled after the European Commission raised concerns that the law conflicted with the EU’s Digital Services Act and other bloc-wide regulations.

The new proposal is expected to undergo legal review in early January, with French media reporting that the ban could take effect as early as September. President Macron is also expected to reference the plan in his New Year’s Eve address, according to Le Monde.

Public support for stricter online protections has grown sharply in France. An Ipsos poll published in September found that four in five French residents support banning social networks for children under 14. The French Senate has also recently endorsed measures aimed at reducing excessive screen time among teenagers, including mandatory parental approval for users aged 13 to 16.

France’s move comes amid a broader international push to regulate children’s access to social media. At EU level, the European Parliament has urged Brussels to consider minimum age requirements in response to rising mental health concerns among adolescents.

Macron has repeatedly pointed to social media as a factor in youth violence and has cited Australia as a model. Australia’s landmark law, which took effect in December, bans under-16s from major platforms and imposes heavy fines on companies that fail to enforce age limits.

With similar measures under consideration in countries such as Germany and Malaysia, France’s renewed effort signals a tightening global debate over how far governments should go to protect children in the digital age.