France has officially approved a nationwide ban on social media for children under 15, becoming the first European Union country to adopt such a restriction.
The legislation passed both chambers of the French Parliament on July 21 and is set to take effect on September 1, 2026. Once in force, children under 15 will no longer be able to create new accounts on social media platforms. Companies will then have four months to remove accounts belonging to underage users that were created before the law takes effect.
France expands online protections for minors
The law applies to major social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat, according to the French Senate.
President Emmanuel Macron backed the legislation, calling it a major step toward protecting young people online.
The measure also expands restrictions on mobile phone use in schools. Existing rules for elementary and middle schools will now extend to high schools beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.
Questions remain over how platforms will verify users' ages without requiring intrusive identity checks, and a review by France’s Constitutional Council could still delay implementation.
France follows Australia, which introduced a nationwide social media ban for children under 16, while several other European countries, including Spain, Denmark, Greece, and the UK, are considering similar measures.
The restrictions do not apply to educational or scientific platforms, online encyclopedias, or websites used to create and share open-source educational projects.