France passes law banning under-15s from social media

France passes law banning under-15s from social media France's parliament has approved a measure to prohibit social media for users under 15 beginning January 2027, making it the first European country to block young people from the platforms. The legislation will require everyone in France to verify their age before accessing social media, a step taken as the UK and the EU develop their own limits in response to concerns about children's mental health. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the move, which he had pledged to deliver by the end of his term in office. While skeptics have questioned the law's workability, the government insists the online tools for conducting the age checks are effective and secure. Both the French Senate and the National Assembly adopted the ban on Tuesday, despite opposition from some members of the left. The rollout will occur in two phases: - Starting in September, individuals under 15 will be unable to create new accounts, and age verification will be mandatory for every newly opened account. - From January 2027, the rule will apply to all existing accounts, meaning everyone in France must confirm they are over 15 to use social media. Once the ban is in force, social media platforms will need to employ age‑verification tools sanctioned by the French privacy regulator, according to Reuters. Concerns have been raised about privacy, the reliability of age‑verification systems, the possibility of minors circumventing them, and the speed with which the legislation was drafted and enacted, Agence France Presse reports. French Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff defended the swift implementation, noting that “age‑verification tools already exist,” the bureau added. France is the second nation to introduce such a ban, following Australia. Although Australia prohibited under‑16s from social media in December, it is widely acknowledged that many continue to use the platforms. In March, Australia's eSafety Commission reported that seven out of ten children under 16 who had a social‑media account before the ban still had “some access.” Professor Tama Leaver of Internet Studies at Western Australia's Curtin University told the BBC the ban has “failed” in its methodological aims. However, he said it has successfully shown a prohibition “can be done,” though he characterizes it as “a spot of an experiment.” Leaver added that one lesson other countries can draw from Australia’s example is that “young people need to be part of this conversation” so that a ban is “done with them” and not “to them.” He suggested France’s ban may have a greater chance of success because it requires every individual to verify their age, but warned that this also heightens privacy risks. Other potential drawbacks include driving youth toward less‑regulated online spaces, diminishing their digital literacy, and weakening their civic empowerment, he noted. Legislation limiting young people’s access to social media has been gaining momentum across Europe in recent months. In June, former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that under‑16s in the UK will be barred from social media from January 2027. An optional midnight curfew for UK teens aged 16 and 17 was also unveiled. In May, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a “social media delay” for children in Europe and said new legislation could be introduced in the coming months.