What is France Proposing?
On Monday, January 26th, the French National Assembly approved a new bill that bans certain social media sites for children under 15 years of age and bans the use of mobile phones in high school. The proposed bill is one of the most restrictive pieces of legislation related to teen online safety in the European Union (EU). The goal of the ban is to protect young teens from being exposed to the harmful effects of using social networking sites, including reduced self-esteem and exposure to explicit content and risky behavior such as self-harm and drug-use.
The newly-approved French ban will require a minimum age limit for social media users and utilize age-verification methods to prevent children from accessing social networking sites. The bill outlines that the country’s media regulators will consider and draft a list of which social media services will be banned and which will be accessible with parental consent. Of sites on either list, the ban will be broadly applied across platforms: ranging from banning younger teens’ access to certain in-site features to revoking their ability to enter certain sites altogether. This being said, the legislation will exempt certain online platforms from being banned, including encyclopedias, education directories or scientific platforms.
When it comes to banning the use of mobile phones in high school, this provision of the bill is an extension of existing legislation. On August 5, 2018, the French government passed a law banning phone use in primary schools, requiring students to either leave phones at home or surrender them at the door. The 2026 ban would extend the existing phone ban from just being applied to primary schools into being applied to French secondary education schools, or collège, as well.
How Did the Bill Move So Quickly?
In late 2025, French Lawmaker Laure Miller drafted the proposed French law after chairing a parliamentary committee focused on the psychological effects of short-form social media sites on minors. On January 27th, the bill was approved in the lower house after a round of amendments in a landslide vote of 130 to 21 in a late-night session. A few hours after the vote, President Macron confirmed on X that he urged for the bill’s review in parliament to be fast-tracked in order to allow it to be enforced by September as school semesters begin if the bill is passed as law.
Pushed by President Macron’s acceleration request, the bill is set to be discussed by the French Senate in February for approval. If approved and passed in the Senate, then the bill will return to the National Assembly for a final vote as well as a discussion of potential amendments. These final discussions will likely entail determining methods for age verification and examining how to protect users’ right to privacy.
Responses to the Breaking News
Proponents of the bill argue that teens’ early and more intensive use of social media has documented negative impacts on their wellbeing, and has “outpaced parent controls.” Member of Parliament (MP) Miller has publicly underscored the necessity for her bill, saying that “social media is not harmless” and citing social media’s harmful psychological effects on minors. President Macron, a strong proponent of the bill, took to X to express his support after the January 27 vote, stating, “our children’s brains are not for sale.”
Opponents to the bill argue that the ban could be a major infringement on civil liberties, especially on French users’ right to privacy, as established in the European Union Digital Services Act (EU DSA). This Act, implemented in 2022, requires that user information for all digital services including social media be protected and kept confidential. MP Louis Boyard warned on X that requiring identifying information from all users “for every account created on all social networks” may violate EU DSA, particularly regarding how sensitive user information will be stored and processed.
Is France Part of the Global Shift on Youth Social Media?
If the bill passes France’s upper chamber, France would become one of many countries responding to concerns around minors’ online activities by enforcing age-based limits on social media. On December 3rd, Australia became the first Western country to implement a minimum age limit after banning social media for children under 16 years old. Moreover, the British government announced in January that it is considering similar restrictions to ban young teenagers from social networking sites.
France’s approach to youth internet usage could have potential implications on the United States, such as encouraging American policymakers to take a more active role in regulating online platforms for young children. The United States can already be seen following a similar policy track with legislation, such as the Kids Online Safety Act and Florida’s recent ban on social media for children under 14 years old.