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French TikTok Probe Recommends Under‑15 Ban as Chair Refers Case to Prosecutor

Implementation now hinges on EU law plus workable age checks.

Overview

  • The parliamentary inquiry urges prohibiting social‑network accounts for under‑15s and imposing a 22:00–08:00 digital curfew for 15–18 year‑olds, alongside a mass information campaign and a new ‘digital negligence’ offense for parents.
  • Commission president Arthur Delaporte said he has referred the findings to the Paris prosecutor, alleging endangerment of users by TikTok.
  • The report says enforcement faces significant hurdles, with a 2023 ‘digital majority’ law stalled over EU‑law concerns and age‑verification posing privacy and circumvention challenges, even as the European Commission pilots verification tools under the DSA.
  • The deputies set a three‑year window for platforms to meet their obligations, warning that restrictions could be extended up to under‑18s if compliance remains unsatisfactory.
  • TikTok told lawmakers it proactively removed 98% of violating content in France last year, but the commission deemed moderation insufficient and noted a 26% drop in francophone moderators between September 2023 and December 2024.