France Bans Social Media for Children Under 15

Paris. France has passed a historic law banning children under 15 from using social media. With the implementation of this law, France has become the first European country to take such a step. The French Parliament passed the law on Tuesday. 

President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the fulfillment of this commitment before the end of his term. According to the law, children under 15 will not be allowed to open new social media accounts from September 2026. Everyone opening a new account will have to verify their age. 

Similarly, from January 2027, this rule will also apply to all existing accounts. After that, everyone using social media in France will have to prove that they are 15 years or older. 

Social media companies will have to use an age verification system approved by France's privacy regulator. However, some concerns have also been expressed about this law. Critics have said that age verification may affect user privacy, teenagers may bypass the rules, and such a system may not be fully effective. 

France's Digital Minister Ann Le Lannaf said that it is possible to implement the law quickly as the necessary technology is already available. Earlier, Australia had also banned children under 16 from using social media. But according to its e-Safety Commissioner, even after the ban, about 70 percent of children under 16 maintained access to social media in some form. 

Since a system has been put in place for all users to verify their age, experts believe that the French system has a somewhat higher chance of success. However, they have warned that it could also increase privacy risks. Efforts to tighten age limits on social media are intensifying across Europe, keeping in mind the mental health and online safety of children. 

The UK has also announced a ban on social media use for teenagers under 16 from January 2027, and the European Commission is also preparing to bring similar new rules for children.