Paris: The French parliament has begun deliberations on a key bill to ban children under 15 from accessing social media platforms. The primary purpose of this bill is to protect the mental health of children and youth, as the French government is concerned about excessive screen time, which affects sleep and brain development in young people. It aims to reduce the likelihood of children becoming victims of harassment or accessing harmful content, such as violence, online bullying, or self-harm. President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the brains of French children and youth are not for sale to the algorithms of giant US or Chinese platforms.
According to Thai News Agency, this French bill is expected to prohibit children under 15 from using social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, X, and other social networks, unless they have parental permission in certain cases or for specific platforms as further specified by law. In addition to banning online use, the bill also pushes for a strict ban on mobile phones in secondary schools. Macron aims for this law to come into effect by September 2026, coinciding with the start of the new academic year.
The French government acknowledges that this move was inspired by Australia, which recently enacted a law banning children under 16 from using social media in December 2025, becoming the first country in the world to implement such a strict measure. However, some left-wing MPs argue that the law is difficult to enforce and is merely a political stunt, while technology companies warn that it could cut vulnerable children off from safe online communities.