France passes law banning under-15s from social media

Image source, Getty ImagesByHugh Schofield, Paris correspondent and Ottilie Mitchell, BBC NewsPublished8 minutes agoFrance's parliament has approved a law to ban social media for under-15s from January 2027, making it the first European country to block young people from the platforms.

The law will mean everyone in France must verify their age to access social media and comes as the UK and EU are developing their own limits in response to concerns for children's mental health.

French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed the move, which he had pledged to introduce to mark the end of his decade in office.

While sceptics have questioned the law's viability, the government has insisted the online tools to put the age checks in place are effective and safe.

Both the French Senate and National Assembly adopted the ban on Tuesday, despite criticism from some on the left.

Once the ban is in place, social media platforms would need to use age-verification tools approved by the French privacy regulator, according to Reuters news agency.

But concerns have been raised over privacy, the efficacy of age-verification tools, the risks of young people bypassing them, and how quickly the ban has been designed and brought in, Agence France Presse reports.

French Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff defended the speed of the law's implementation ahead of the vote "because age-verification tools already exist", the agency added.

Despite Australia banning under-16s from social media in December, it is widely acknowledged that many continue to use the platforms.

In March, Australia's eSafety Commission announced seven out of 10 children aged under 16 who had a social media account before the ban still had "some access".

Given this, Professor of Internet Studies at Western Australia's Curtin University Tama Leaver told the BBC the ban has "failed" in its technical aims.

But, he says, it has successfully shown a ban "can be done" though classifies it as "a bit of an experiment".