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France becomes first EU country to ban social media for kids under 15
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France has become the first country in the European Union to ban social media for children under the age of 15, after its parliament overwhelmingly approved landmark legislation by 279 votes to 81.
Key facts
- France has become the first country in the European Union to ban social media for children under the age of 15, after its parliament overwhelmingly approved landmark legislation by 279 votes to 81
- Under the new law, children under 15 will be prevented from creating new social media accounts on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat from September, while existing accounts will be blocked
- Australia became the first country to impose such a measure when it banned under-16s from social media at the end of 2025
- Last month, the U.K. also announced plans to introduce a ban on social media accounts for under-16s from January 2027
Summary
Under the new law, children under 15 will be prevented from creating new social media accounts on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat from September, while existing accounts will be blocked from January 2027, according to the legislation. The law will also ban students from having phones in high schools from next year, and require social platforms to introduce age verification checks. "France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers," President Emmanuel Macron said, hailing the legislation's passage as a landmark moment. Earlier this year, France's public health watchdog concluded that social media had harmful effects on teenagers' mental health, especially girls.