French lawmakers have passed a bill seeking to ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media, in a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron to curb excessive screen time and protect young minds. The lower house approved the bill with 130 votes in favour and 21 against after an overnight session.
The proposed law, which now heads to the Senate, would also restrict mobile phone use in high schools and introduce strict age-verification measures for social media platforms. If passed, France will become the second country after Australia to impose such limits.
Macron described the decision as a major step towards safeguarding children from harmful digital content, cyberbullying and mental health risks. Authorities plan to enforce the rules from the 2026 school year, giving platforms time to deactivate non-compliant accounts.
While supporters see it as child protection, critics argue it may oversimplify deeper digital challenges.
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