France Gives Final Approval to Ban on Social Media for Children

France's parliament has given final approval to a law restricting children's access to social media, after the measure was backed by the Senate. President Emmanuel Macron had promised to introduce the measure, and according to AFP, it stands as one of the key initiatives of the final stretch of his second presidential term — Macron will be ineligible to run again in the April 2027 election.

Under the new law, internet platforms will be required to introduce age-verification systems for users. The legislation also bans the use of mobile phones in secondary schools.

Similar measures are currently being prepared by around ten European countries, including Spain and Denmark, which are drawing up their own age-restriction rules for social media. In Czechia, President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš have both spoken out this year in favor of banning social media for children under 15. On Monday, the Czech government also backed a bill to ban the use of phones and other electronic communication devices in schools. Many EU countries are pushing for a unified European approach to the issue.

According to French authorities, one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on their smartphone. December statistics show that around 90% of children aged 12 to 17 use smartphones daily to go online, with 58% of them using their devices specifically to access social media. The report highlights a number of negative effects of social media use on children, including lower self-esteem and a heightened risk of encountering content related to self-harm, drug use and suicide.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz