French Parliament Approves Social Media Ban for Under-15s

Parliamentary rapporteur Laure Miller, who belongs to the governing parliamentary group, said the platforms were technically prepared: „Aus meiner Sicht sind die Plattformen weitgehend vorbereitet“. Miller pointed out that simply watching videos or sending private messages was not covered by the ban. For areas with network character, such as comment functions or channels for sharing, YouTube must introduce age verification, as must WhatsApp.

Rationale: Protecting Mental Health

According to the French health authority, the aim of the law is to protect young people's mental health. A corresponding report warns of risks such as cyberbullying, constant comparison with others, unrealistic role models, and brutal content. Algorithms, the study says, captivate young people's attention and often rob them of sleep.

The law provides no sanctions against children or parents. The obligation for age verification lies with the platforms, which can offer several parallel systems so that users have a choice. Exceptions apply to, among others, online encyclopedias and digital educational projects.

European Context

Miller described the text as „im Einklang“ with future European regulations. Last week, a European expert panel recommended an EU-wide social media ban for children under 13. The EU Commission had asked France two weeks earlier to revise the Senate bill at the time, as it was not fully compatible with EU law and touched on Brussels competences. The Commission is also developing an app that stores age on the smartphone and automatically blocks impermissible applications.

Originally, the National Assembly wanted to give parents the option of unblocking individual sites for their children. The Senate, by contrast, had proposed a two-tier model in which certain platforms would be inaccessible to all under-15s via a blacklist, and additional services could be used with parental consent. This softer approach did not prevail in the compromise negotiations.

International Examples and Outlook

The initiative is being watched closely internationally. Australia introduced a comparable ban as early as December 2025. Similar regulations are also being discussed in several other EU member states and at the EU level. In the United Kingdom, an additional nighttime usage ban for 16- and 17-year-olds is planned, which will be adjustable.

The French law would also extend the existing mobile phone ban in schools from primary and lower secondary education to upper secondary schools, while exceptions remain permissible. Final passage in both chambers was considered largely assured on Tuesday.

Overall, the compromise shows that France intends to go significantly beyond existing EU standards in protecting minors online. The concrete implementation – particularly age verification – remains an organizational and technical challenge, the effectiveness of which will only become apparent after it takes effect in September.