French Parliament approves law banning social media for children under 15

Children with smartphones. Illustrative photo: helenjank/Pixabay

Children with smartphones. Illustrative photo: helenjank/Pixabay

The French government has adopted a law restricting access to social networks for teenagers under 15 years old. As reported by the website pch24.pl, children are prohibited from using social networks without parents' consent.

The bill was supported by 130 deputies, with 21 voting against. French President Emmanuel Macron called the document an important step in regulating digital space, noting that this ban is recommended by specialists and supported by the majority of the population.

Similar regulations were previously adopted by Australia, and discussions of analogous measures continue in the United Kingdom.

The new rules require internet platforms to implement technical mechanisms for verifying users' ages. Violators face significant fines – up to 32 million US dollars. According to a statement by Meta company, only in the first months of the restrictions being in effect, 550 thousand profiles of underage users were deactivated.

The law will come into force after approval of regulatory acts and consultations with digital companies, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

As reported by the UOJ, Denmark also plans to ban social networks for children under 15 years old.

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