French lawmakers have approved a bill that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from using social media, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron to curb excessive screen time and better protect young users.
The National Assembly passed the bill after an overnight debate, with 130 members voting in favour and 21 against. The proposed legislation will now be sent to the Senate for approval before it can become law. If enacted, France would become the second country after Australia to introduce nationwide restrictions on social media use for minors.
The bill also includes a provision to ban mobile phones in high schools.
President Macron welcomed the vote, calling it a significant step toward safeguarding children and teenagers from harmful online influence and manipulation.
The government plans to implement the rules from the start of the 2026 school year in September for new accounts. Existing accounts that do not meet the age requirement would be shut down later in the year.
The European Commission noted that enforcement would need to align with EU regulations and depend on the availability of reliable age-verification systems.
Educational platforms and online encyclopaedias are exempt from the ban.
