French parliament bans social media for children under 15

A session of the French National Assembly. Photo: REUTERS/Manuel Ausloos

On July 21, 2026, the French Parliament approved a ban on social media use by children under the age of 15. The bill was passed by both chambers – the National Assembly and the Senate, Reuters reports.

Under the new rules, children under 15 will be prohibited from creating social media accounts beginning September 1. Platforms will be given an additional four months to identify and close existing accounts belonging to underage users.

Social media platforms will also be required to introduce an age-verification system approved by France’s data protection regulator. French President Emmanuel Macron expects the law to take effect by the beginning of the new school year.

Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff said France had become the first country in Europe to establish what she called an age of digital adulthood. Australia previously introduced similar restrictions, banning social media use by people under the age of 16.

Macron said the ban was necessary because of the harmful effects of social media on adolescents’ attention, health, and safety. He said the authorities must help young people “become adults and, above all, citizens,” and that access to social media platforms should therefore be restricted until the age of 15.

As the UOJ reported earlier, religious hospitals in France will be required to perform euthanasia.

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