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French National Assembly Backs Under-15 Social Media Ban, Sending Bill to Senate

The reworked proposal sets a two-tier regime shaped by EU digital rules and targets application from the start of the 2026 school year.

Overview

  • Lawmakers voted 116–23 to approve a measure prohibiting access to social networks for children under 15 and extending mobile phone bans to secondary schools.
  • The text reframes the restriction so under-15 accounts are treated as illicit content that platforms must remove, reflecting Conseil d’État guidance under the EU Digital Services Act.
  • A list of higher-risk platforms, to be set by government decree after advice from regulator ARCOM, would face a total prohibition for under-15s, while other services would require parental authorization.
  • President Emmanuel Macron has requested accelerated parliamentary procedure to try to bring the rules into force by September 2026.
  • The bill now moves to the Senate, with enforcement specifics, EU constraints, and practical age-verification challenges still unresolved.