Should children under 15 years old have access to social media? France has definitively voted that the answer is no.

In a decisive 130-21 vote late Monday, French lawmakers in the Assemblée Nationale adopted a bill that prohibits access to social media networks for children under 15 across the entire country. President Emmanuel Macron is fully supportive, urging swift progression of the legislation. The bill now advances to the Sénat for further discussion and approval before it can become law. Proponents are aiming for implementation as early as the start of the 2026 school year in September.

“Banning social media for those under 15,” Macron said, “is what scientists recommend, and this is what the French people are overwhelmingly calling for.” As he went on to assert, “our children’s brains are not for sale — neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks. Because their dreams must not be dictated by algorithms.” He referred to the bill as a “major step” in the right direction.

This new bill builds upon previously passed legislation, including the French government’s decision to ban phone use in all primary and middle schools — now extending similar restrictions to high schools. In France alone, December reports estimated that approximately 90% of children between 12 and 17 years old use smartphones to access the internet on a daily basis, with at least 58% of them maintaining a social media presence. Roughly 50% of teenagers in France spend between two and five hours a day on their phones.

Opponents of social media bans for children argue that any such restrictions hinder civil liberties. Yet numerous studies, several in recent months, continue to put a spotlight on the negative effects heavy screen time has on developing minds. Even adults, according to data from a recent survey, are emotionally and mentally better off when they intentionally unplug. In fact, France’s own report “highlighted a range of harmful effects stemming from the use of social networks,” according to Breitbart News, “including reduced self-esteem and increased exposure to content associated with risky behaviors such as self-harm, drug use and suicide. Several families in France have sued TikTok over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content.”

France’s vote to further protect children from the dangerous effects of social media came just days after the British government hinted at banning young teenagers from the platforms as well. In December 2025, the Australian government made Australia the first country to ban children under 16 from having accounts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, X, Kick, Twitch, and Threads. For any platform failing to comply, fines upward of $50 million Australian dollars (equivalent to $32 million U.S. dollars) are possible. As part of the ban’s rollout, the country identified and addressed roughly 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16.

France’s particular legislative action is designed to align closely with the European Union’s Digital Services Act, “which imposes a set of strict requirements designed to keep internet users safe online,” Breitbart reported. Additionally, the “ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, educational or scientific directories, or platforms for the development and sharing of open-source software,” ensuring that access to knowledge and learning resources remains unrestricted while targeting addictive social networking platforms.

In comments to the Assemblée Nationale, French lawmaker Laure Miller explained how the bill is meant to set “a clear boundary in society [by] saying social media is not harmless. Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more.” She asserted, “This is a battle for free minds.”

Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who leads Macron’s Renaissance party in the lower house, also weighed in, emphasizing how “France can be a pioneer in Europe in a month: We can change the lives of our young people and our families, and perhaps also change the destiny of our country in terms of independence.”

While many are celebrating this development as a win for protecting children, some are not as enthusiastic. Former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, for example, expressed caution: “It’s more complicated than that. We first need to make sure that the ban is properly enforced in middle schools.” Arnaud Saint-Martin, a lawmaker from the left-wing La France Insoumise, accused the ban of being “a form of digital paternalism” and “overly simplistic.” He claimed the issue is more about holding “platforms accountable” than outright banning children from using them. However, the EU has already launched probes into tech giants such as TikTok and Meta’s Facebook for not doing enough to safeguard children from negative effects — probes that remain active, even two years after they began.

In the end, if France were to officially turn this bill into law (which it appears poised to do, given the overwhelming support and Macron’s push for acceleration), it would become the second country ever to place such restrictions on social media use for children. The momentum, however, is spreading rapidly across Europe. Beyond Britain, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Greece have considered similar measures to curb mental health struggles and protect kids. The Netherlands, at the very least, has issued guidance for children under 15 to avoid social media. Reportedly, even the European Commission is actively pondering a possible EU-wide ban — or at least tightening restrictions — for children in 2026, with discussions around age-verification tools and harmonized standards gaining traction.

Whether through France’s national action or potential Commission-level coordination, it appears Australia’s trailblazing has inspired numerous countries to consider following in its footsteps. While many agree that less screen time for children is a good rule to follow, the conversation around civil rights, and whether social media bans infringe upon them, is alive and well. This evolving conversation appears to reflect a range of questions and concerns about balancing protection, innovation, and individual freedoms in a world that seems to grow even more digital by the day.

Will more bans forge brighter, more alert future generations — children’s minds guarded from the algorithmic undertow, allowed to bloom as they ought? Or will the bans simply ignite a legal wildfire, a towering inferno of courtroom clashes and furious keyboard crusades? Only time will render the verdict.