Overview
- French President Emmanuel Macron sent a letter dated August 29 asking European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to back an EU-wide law barring children under 15 from social media.
- The demand follows the Constitutional Council's decision in August to strike down France's national restriction as disproportionate and prompts Paris to prepare a revised domestic text.
- The European Commission is set to present policy proposals in September, including a speech by von der Leyen on September 16, after an expert panel recommended a tiered model with tighter limits for under-13s.
- Some member states oppose a single age threshold: Estonia's digital minister urged relying on the Digital Services Act to force platforms to change addictive features rather than impose a blanket ban, and officials note age checks must preserve privacy and be technically enforceable.
- A mid-September EU decision will shape whether rules bar under-15s from platforms, require design changes such as limits on infinite scroll and autoplay, or lead to a mixed system, with clear implications for enforcement, privacy and how parents and platforms manage children's online access.