Social media to be banned for under-15s in France: Find out when it will take effect

Following in the footsteps of Australia, France is all set to ban social media use for teens under 15 after lawmakers passed legislation in this regard on Tuesday.

This law, supported by French President Emmanuel Macron, is designed to protect children from excessive screen time and the harms associated with social media.

France's National Assembly approved the bill with a vote of 130 to 21 during an overnight session, giving the legislation a much-needed nod to advance to the Senate for further consideration before becoming a law.

Macron hailed the vote on social media platform X (known as Twitter before Elon Musk's takeover), describing it as a “major step” in safeguarding the well-being of French youth.

The proposed law also includes a ban on mobile phones in high schools. By implementing these measures, France is to become the second country after Australia to ban social media for under-16s.

Concerns opposing the ban escalated regarding the impact of screen time and addictive algorithms on child development and mental health.

“The emotions of our children and teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated,” Macron stated in a video message.

Authorities are expected to enforce the new rules starting with the upcoming school year in September, requiring social media platforms to deactivate existing accounts of users below the age requirement by December 31.

While the European Commission abetted France's right to impose the ban, it emphasised that enforcement will depend on compliance with EU regulations.

Critics say the ban represents “digital paternalism” and call for accountability from social media platforms rather than outright bans.