France Passes Bill to Ban Social Media for Under-15s

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - France is one step closer to becoming the first country in the European Union to impose a social media ban for children under 15. The country's parliament has approved a bill that also prohibits the use of mobile phones in schools.

The enactment of the bill is still pending approval from the French Constitutional Council before it officially takes effect. If passed, the policy will follow in the footsteps of Australia, which implemented similar regulations earlier in 2024.

The new law aims to reduce the negative impact of social media use on children's health, as stated in a report by Engadget on July 21, 2026.

In addition to restricting children's access to social media, the regulations also include a ban on the use of mobile phones in schools and introduce new provisions regarding how social media platforms advertise. The French regulator has also proposed the use of age verification technology to ensure that users meet the minimum age requirement before creating an account.

However, the government has not yet established mandatory age verification mechanisms to be implemented by social media platforms. The decision regarding this system is expected to fall under the authority of ARCOM, France's digital communications regulator, which will also oversee the implementation of the regulations.

President Emmanuel Macron has requested that the regulations be enforced starting from the new academic year in September. In a post on the X social media platform, Macron expressed his appreciation to the parliament for passing the bill. Previously, he had also requested that the discussion and voting processes be expedited.

France is not the only country considering restrictions on social media for children. The UK has partially implemented similar policies through age verification requirements in the Online Safety Act, while Denmark is preparing similar regulations. In Canada, regulators also submitted a bill in June to ban the use of social media for children under 16.

Indonesia has also implemented a similar ban since March 28, 2026. Accounts belonging to children under 16 on various platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, and Roblox, have been gradually deactivated.

However, the effectiveness of these policies remains a subject of scrutiny. Several studies published in April and June indicate that many children in Australia were still able to access social media after the ban was imposed. One of the suspected reasons is the ineffective implementation of age verification systems by the platforms.

Read: French Lawmakers Vote on Social Media Ban for Children

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French Lawmakers Vote on Social Media Ban for Children

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