The big picture: Following Australia's lead, France's National Assembly has approved a bill that would prohibit social media access for children under 15 and impose a blanket ban on mobile phone use in high schools. The proposals must now pass the Senate before they can be signed into law by President Emmanuel Macron.
Lawmakers in the lower house of the French Parliament passed the bill by a 130 – 21 vote late Monday night, marking a rare show of bipartisan unity in the deeply divided Assemblée Nationale. Nearly all leading French lawmakers expressed strong support for the measure, citing it as the most effective way to protect children from cyber-bullying and inappropriate online content.
President Macron, who actively campaigned for the bill, hailed the vote as a "major step" toward ensuring the online safety and mental well-being of children in France. Speaking on French television, Macron urged Senate leaders to fast-track the legislation, saying that "the emotions of our children and teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated" by American and Chinese corporations.
Macron added that most scientists recommend reducing screen time for children under 15 and claimed that the majority of people in the country are "overwhelmingly" in favor of a law restricting kids from spending excessive time online. "The dreams and aspirations of our children must not be dictated by algorithms," he said.
The bill's provisions will be debated in the Senate in the coming weeks. If approved, the law could take effect at the start of the next school year in September, potentially paving the way for similar measures in other EU countries, including Germany, Denmark, Spain, and Italy, where lawmakers are actively considering restrictions on children's social media use.
Australia became the first democratic country to impose such restrictions last month, passing bipartisan legislation that sets a mandatory minimum age of 16 to open and operate social media accounts. The ban applies to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Twitch, and Kick.
Within the first few days after the law took effect on December 10, at least 4.7 million accounts believed to belong to minors were deleted or deactivated by the designated platforms. The law also stipulates fines of up to A$50 million ($32 million) for noncompliance with the age-restriction requirements.