The French National Assembly has voted to ban the use of social networks by children and young people under 15 years of age.
01/27/2026, 05:2401/27/2026, 05:27
The MPs in Paris adopted a corresponding legislative proposal on Monday evening. It stipulates that “access to an online social network service provided by an online platform” is prohibited for minors under 15 years of age. The text still has to be voted on in the Senate, the other chamber of parliament.
In the future, social media will only be accessible to those aged 15 and over in France.Image: keystone
The wording adopted leaves it open which social media would specifically be affected by the ban. The only clarification is that “online encyclopedias” and “educational or scientific directories” should be excluded from this. Private messenger services should also not be affected.
The original proposed law did not provide for a complete ban
The original text that MPs debated went less far-reaching: it stipulated that certain pages could continue to be used with parental permission. That is no longer the case.
The proposed law was supported in the National Assembly primarily by French President Emmanuel Macron’s camp. After the vote, Macron said on Platform X:
“This is what scientists recommend and this is what the French overwhelmingly demand.”
The head of state wants the regulation to take effect as early as the next school year. “From September 1st, our children and young people will finally be protected. I will make sure of that,” wrote Macron.
EU law created problems with previous law
A few years ago, France tried to introduce a minimum age of 15 for young people to be able to create their own account on social networks without their parents’ permission. However, the law could not be applied due to the European legal situation. It remains to be seen whether the new rules will comply with current EU law.
Last year, the European Parliament voted with a clear majority in favor of the demand for an EU-wide minimum age. However, the adopted report has not yet had any binding effect.
If the law is finally passed in France, Germany’s neighbor would be one of the first countries to introduce such restrictive requirements for minors. In Australia, children and young people under the age of 16 have recently been banned from having their own social media accounts on many major platforms. In Great Britain, the upper house also voted last week for a social media ban up to the age of 16, which now has to go through the lower house, which is dominated by the ruling Labor party. In Denmark, the government agreed with the opposition to introduce a national age limit of 15 for access to certain social media.
And there is also a debate in Germany about whether access to social media for children should be restricted. (sda/dpa)