France Bans Social Media For Under-15s

France’s parliament has passed legislation that will prohibit under-15s from using social media platforms, making the country the first in Europe to introduce such a ban.

The law was adopted by both the Senate and the National Assembly on Tuesday. It requires age verification for all users in France accessing social media and will take effect in stages. From September, people under 15 will be barred from opening new accounts, and age checks will apply to all new registrations. From January 2027, the restriction will extend to existing accounts, meaning every user in France must prove they are over 15.

Once fully in force, platforms will be required to use age-verification tools approved by the French privacy regulator. President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the measure, which he had pledged to introduce toward the end of his term in office. Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff defended the relatively rapid timeline, stating that suitable age-verification tools already exist.

France is the second country to enact a social media age ban after Australia, which prohibited under-16s from the platforms in December. Australia’s eSafety Commission reported in March that seven out of ten children under 16 who previously held accounts retained some form of access.

Tamaa Leaver, professor of internet studies at Curtin University in Western Australia, suggested France’s requirement for universal age verification could improve compliance compared with Australia’s approach, though it would also heighten privacy risks. Additional concerns he raised include the possibility of young users moving to less-regulated online spaces and potential reductions in their access to news and political participation.