France Bans Social Media for Minors Under 15
- French lawmakers voted monday to prohibit social media access for children under 15 and ban mobile phones in schools, aiming to implement the rules by the start of...
- After a lengthy debate extending past midnight, French deputies approved the measure with 130 votes in favor and 21 against.
- The bill, fast-tracked through the legislative process, now requires approval from the Senate to take effect on September 1st.
French lawmakers voted monday to prohibit social media access for children under 15 and ban mobile phones in schools, aiming to implement the rules by the start of the next academic year.
After a lengthy debate extending past midnight, French deputies approved the measure with 130 votes in favor and 21 against.
The bill, fast-tracked through the legislative process, now requires approval from the Senate to take effect on September 1st.
Laure Miller, a ruling party deputy and key proponent of the legislation, defended the ban, stating that children shouldn’t be left to manage addictive platforms on their own. She specifically cited algorithms that lead minors to content promoting suicide and self-harm, pointing to TikTok as a particular concern.
“It promised to encourage creativity and joy, and the opposite has happened,” Miller said, adding that scientific studies show social media use leads to children “sleeping less, moving less, reading less, and comparing themselves more” to others.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray praised the planned restrictions on mobile phones in secondary schools, building on a 2018 ban already in place for primary and preschool students. “This measure has had positive effects, both on the school environment and on learning,” he stated.