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France plans to ban children under 15 from accessing social media and restrict cellphone use in high schools from next year, according to local media The World reported Tuesday.
The proposal aims to reduce excessive screen time and protect minors from online risks such as inappropriate content. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly cited social media as a contributing factor to youth violence.
“Numerous studies and reports now confirm the various risks generated by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,” indicates a draft law, according to Le Monde.
The document adds that children with unrestricted access to the Internet have been exposed to “inappropriate content” and could suffer from cyber-harassment or experience changes in their sleep habits, according to the media outlet.
President Emmanuel Macron is considering banning the use of social media for children under 15. (TERESA SUAREZ/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The proposal follows Australia’s lead after the country introduced a world-first social media ban for children under 16 in December, restricting access to platforms including Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
Macron hopes Parliament will debate the proposal in January, with a potential start date in September next year, according to the local media outlet.
In June, Macron said he wanted to push for similar regulations across the European Union (EU), following a fatal knife attack at a school. eastern France which shocked the nation in April, Reuters reported.
A 13-year-old girl uses her smartphone in a dark room. (iStock)
Macron has already taken numerous measures to protect minors digitally. However, technical challenges, notably EU legal constraints and their weak application have limited the effectiveness of these measures.
Cell phones have already been banned in French primary and middle schools since 2018, according to Le Monde.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed into law a world-first ban on social media in December, banning children under 16 from using major platforms. (Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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In 2023, France reportedly attempted to pass a law calling for a “legal digital age,” requiring parental consent for social media users under 15. The law, however, was blocked by European regulations.
In November, the European Parliament urged the EU to set the minimum age for social networks to tackle adolescent mental health issues, although final decisions rest with its member states, Reuters reported.
