France Moves to Ban Social Media for Children Under 15

France has moved a step closer to banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media after a parliamentary reconciliation committee approved the proposed legislation on Monday.

The bill is scheduled to be debated in the National Assembly before heading to the Senate for final consideration. President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants the measure to take effect before the new school year begins in early September.

If passed, France would become one of the first European countries to impose such restrictions, following Australia, which introduced a nationwide social media ban for children under 16 in December.

Under the proposed law, France’s Information Technology Minister will draw up a list of social media platforms that will be prohibited for users under 15. Companies operating those platforms will be required to implement age verification systems approved by the country’s data privacy regulator.

The legislation also includes a proposal to ban smartphone use in high schools as part of broader efforts to protect children’s well-being and reduce excessive screen time.

President Macron has also called for similar restrictions to be adopted across the European Union, a move that has received support from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Source: Reuters