France has taken a decisive step towards digital protection for minors. The country's President, Emmanuel Macron, officially confirmed that the French parliament has passed a law banning the use of social networks for children under the age of 15. The new regulation will come into force at the beginning of the new school year.
Promise fulfilled: the President's position
On the evening of July 21, the head of state made a statement emphasizing the fulfillment of his election promise. Macron thanked the parliamentarians for passing the decision, calling it key to children's safety on the internet. According to him, the task now passes to the Constitutional Council, which must approve the law and ensure its practical implementation.
"I promised to do this, and now this issue has been voted on: social networks will be banned for persons under 15 years of age from the start of the school year," RBC-Ukraine quotes the president.
Implementation mechanism: total ban or "black list"?
During the discussion of the bill in the French parliament, disagreements arose regarding control methods. Deputies of the National Assembly advocated for a total ban on access to all online social networking services for the specified age group. At the same time, senators proposed a more flexible approach — creating a "black list" of specific platforms to which access would be restricted.
In addition to restrictions on social networks, the bill provides for a ban on the use of mobile phones in middle schools in France. This decision expands the scope of existing regulations, which are already applied in many primary and secondary educational institutions of the country.
International context and EU reaction
France is not alone in its desire to protect children from digital risks. The first country in the world to introduce a total ban on social networks for children under 16 was Australia (restrictions come into force from December 10, 2025). Similar measures are also being taken or discussed in the UK, Turkey, and Indonesia.
However, Paris's initiative has met with criticism at the European Union level. The European Commission warned that the French bill may violate the EU's law on online content. Brussels fears that transferring regulatory powers to national authorities goes beyond the framework of the bloc's single legal base. At the beginning of July, the commission demanded that French lawmakers revise the document, despite the fact that the idea of protecting children on the internet was approved.
The EU itself is also preparing its own legislation to restrict minors' access to social networks. The main reasons for introducing such restrictions at the European level are cited as threats to children's mental health and manipulation by recommendation algorithms.
