France's parliament has approved a law banning social media access for children under 15 years old, effective from January 2027. This legislation makes France the first European country to block young users from social media platforms by mandating age verification for all users.

The law, welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron as part of his final term initiatives, requires that from September 2026, individuals under 15 will not be able to open social media accounts, and all new accounts must undergo age verification. Both the French Senate and National Assembly passed the ban despite criticism from some left-wing politicians.

This move aligns with similar efforts internationally. In June 2026, former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a ban on social media use for under-16s in the UK starting January 2027, alongside an optional midnight curfew for teens aged 16 and 17. Earlier in March, Australia's eSafety Commission reported that seven out of ten children under 16 who had social media accounts before the ban still retained some access.

Professor Tama Leaver, an Internet Studies expert at Western Australia's Curtin University, told the BBC that France's law demonstrates that such bans are technically feasible because age-verification tools already exist. He noted that other countries could learn from France's example.

The French government maintains that the online tools for age verification are effective and safe, despite skepticism about the law's viability.

Sources