Translated with AI
The French National Assembly (lower house of parliament) approved a bill banning access to social media for minors under 15. On Monday, 116 members voted in favor, while 23 voted against. The bill will now be submitted to the Senate, the upper house of parliament, for consideration.
The document states that "access to social networks is prohibited for minors under 15 years of age." According to Le Monde, this wording does not impose direct obligations on social platforms, as regulation of social networks falls under the European Commission's remit. However, legislators and government officials in France hope that the law will compel online platforms to implement age verification systems to ensure the effectiveness of the measure.
The bill also expands the ban on mobile phone use in colleges and secondary schools for children aged 11–15, which was previously introduced in 2018. The ban is now planned to be extended to high schools.
At the request of French President Emmanuel Macron, the law is being considered in an accelerated manner, providing for one reading instead of two in each chamber of parliament.
Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who leads the president's Renaissance party faction in the National Assembly, expressed hope that the Senate would pass the bill as early as mid-February. If approved, the ban on creating new accounts for users under 15 would take effect on September 1, and platforms would be required to delete existing accounts belonging to minors by December 31.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need to protect children and adolescents from the influence of social media. "Our children's minds are not for sale. Not to American platforms, not to Chinese networks. By September 1, our children and adolescents will finally be protected. I will ensure this," he wrote on the social media platform X after the National Assembly approved the bill.
