France Passes Law Banning Under-15s From Social Media Platforms

France's parliament has approved legislation banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, with the measure set to take full effect in January 2027.

The legislation makes France the first European country to introduce a nationwide age-based ban on social media for children under 15, amid growing concerns over the impact of online platforms on children's mental health and wellbeing.

The measure was approved by both the French Senate and National Assembly on Tuesday, despite opposition from some lawmakers on the left.

Under the implementation plan, the restrictions will be introduced in two stages.

From September, users under 15 will be prohibited from creating new social media accounts, while age verification will be required for all new accounts.

From January 2027, the requirement will be extended to existing accounts, meaning all social media users in France will be required to demonstrate that they are at least 15 years old before accessing the platforms.

Social media companies will be required to deploy age-verification systems approved by France's privacy regulator once the ban comes fully into force.

President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the legislation, which he had previously pledged to introduce as he approaches the end of his second term in office.

The French government has defended the measure, arguing that existing technological tools can provide effective and secure age verification.

However, critics have questioned whether the restrictions can be effectively enforced, raising concerns about privacy, the reliability of age-verification systems and the possibility that children could circumvent the rules.

There are also concerns that the rapid implementation of the legislation could push young people towards less-regulated online spaces, potentially exposing them to other risks.

The debate has been influenced by Australia's experience, which France is closely watching.

Australia introduced a ban on social media access for under-16s in December, but the country's experience has raised questions about the practical effectiveness of such restrictions. Australia's eSafety Commission reported in March that seven out of 10 children under 16 who had social media accounts before the ban continued to have some form of access.

Professor Tama Leaver, an Internet Studies scholar at Curtin University in Western Australia, described Australia's experience as a failure in achieving its technical objectives, although he said it had demonstrated that governments could implement such restrictions.

He argued that young people should be included in discussions about social media regulation rather than having policies imposed on them without their participation.

France's approach could have a greater chance of enforcement because its law requires age verification for all users, but Leaver warned that such a system could also create greater privacy risks.

Other concerns include the possibility of young people migrating to platforms with weaker safeguards, as well as potential consequences for their access to news and participation in public and political discourse.

The French law comes amid a wider push across Europe to regulate children's access to social media.

In the United Kingdom, former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in June that the government plans to restrict social media access for under-16s from January 2027, alongside proposals for an optional midnight curfew for teenagers aged 16 and 17.

At the European Union level, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a "social media delay" for children and indicated that new legislation could be introduced in the coming months.

The growing regulatory push reflects increasing concern among European governments over the effects of social media on children, particularly in relation to mental health, online safety and exposure to potentially harmful content.

France's new law is therefore likely to become a major test of whether governments can balance child protection with privacy rights, digital access and the practical challenges of enforcing age restrictions in an increasingly connected society.