France is moving fast to keep kids under 15 off social media. President Emmanuel Macron wants the rule in place by September, when the new school year starts. Lawmakers just passed a bill in the National Assembly that would make it happen.
Macron shared his thoughts in a video on Saturday. He said, “The brain of our children and teenagers is not for sale.” He added that their emotions should not be messed with by American platforms or Chinese algorithms. It’s clear he’s targeting big tech companies.
The bill comes from deputy Laure Miller, who is part of Macron’s group. It bans access to social networks for anyone under 15. This includes things like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. But there’s a pass for helpful sites like Wikipedia or other learning tools.
The plan also stops mobile phones in all high schools. Phones have been banned in middle schools since 2018. Now they want to extend it to older kids too.
This is not the first try. Back in 2023, France passed a law needing parental okay for under-15s to make accounts. But it never started because it clashed with EU rules. Last year, the EU changed its guidelines. Now countries can set their own age limits or ask for parent consent. That opened the door for this stronger ban.
Age checks are a big question. How do platforms know who’s under 15? France might use the same system as for adult sites. That could mean sending a photo of an ID card with a selfie, or using AI to guess age from a face. It’s being tested in Europe, and countries must have a good system by year’s end.
Many people like the idea. A 2024 poll showed 73% of French folks support banning social media for under-15s. Parents worry about bullying, bad content, and too much screen time hurting kids’ minds.
France follows Australia, which banned it for under-16s last year. That led to millions of accounts getting blocked. Denmark has agreed to do the same for under-15s, maybe by mid-2026. Other places in Europe are talking about it too.
The bill still needs the Senate to say yes. Leaders hope for that by mid-February so the ban kicks in September. For new accounts, it would start right away. Old accounts would have until the end of the year to get fixed or shut down.
Some groups that help kids say platforms should take more blame instead of just banning kids. Others worry about privacy with all the ID checks.
This feels like a big push to protect young people. Social media can be fun, but many see the risks for growing brains. France wants to lead the way in Europe and show tech companies they can’t just do what they want with kids.
If it passes, it could change how families handle phones and apps. Kids might spend more time outside or with books. Parents could feel better about safety online. It’s a hot topic right now, and everyone is watching what happens next in France.