French Parliament backs social media ban for under-15s in EU first
France becomes the first European country to approve a legal ban on social media access for children under 15, adding a new model in online child-safety regulation.
- France’s Parliament approved a bill that restricts social media access for children under 15.
- President Emmanuel Macron supports the measure as a central reform for his final term and wants it enforced by September.
France’s Parliament has approved a bill that would ban social media access for children under 15. The measure matters because it places child online safety and platform regulation at the centre of national digital policy, and it makes France the first European country to adopt such a restriction.
President Emmanuel Macron has backed the measure as a central reform for his final term and wants it enforced by September. The law has moved from political support to parliamentary approval, but its effectiveness will depend on age verification, platform compliance, and enforcement design.
Why the issue matters
UPSC may ask about the policy trade-off between protecting minors online and preserving digital access, the regulatory role of the state over global platforms, and the challenge of enforcing age-based restrictions in the digital economy.
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