OVERVIEW: As social media algorithms come under increasing scrutiny, policies to ban children from services such as Facebook, X, YouTube, and Snapchat are gaining popularity across the globe. However, as France becomes the latest country to attempt harsh legislation, data suggests that the impact of Australia's ban has been limited.
France's National Assembly voted 130 to 21 on Monday to ban children under age 15 from social media. President Emmanuel Macron, who strongly supported the legislation, wants to push the law into effect before the new school year begins in September. The bill also bans smartphone use in high schools but exempts online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, educational and scientific directories, and open-source software platforms such as GitHub.
Although the bill must still undergo discussion in the Senate over the coming weeks, it enjoys unusually broad bipartisan support in France's traditionally divided government. Macron hopes to fast-track the legislation and pass it before similar laws emerge in other European countries considering them.
Macron cited data from France's national public health agency indicating that one in two teenagers in the country spends between two and five hours each day using smartphones. Approximately 90% access the internet via phones daily, and more than half access social media on them.
The president declared that the country aims to protect children's brains from American tech platforms and Chinese networks. Another lawmaker said the legislation firmly establishes that social media is not harmless, claiming that it causes children to read less, sleep less, and compare themselves to others more.
If the legislation meets Macron's timetable, France would leapfrog proposals in other European countries, such as Greece, Norway, Spain, and the UK. Greece aims to enforce a ban starting next year, and restrictions for under-16s are set to be introduced into the Norwegian and British parliaments by the end of 2026.
Australia became the first democratic country to attempt a ban late last year, but recent studies cast doubt on its effectiveness. An estimated three in five Australians aged 12 to 15 retain access to one or more social media accounts. Similar proportions of users report that YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok have largely ignored demands to close the accounts of teenagers under 16. Although many circumvented restrictions with VPNs or other workarounds, most report that social networks never request age verification. France is also considering restricting VPN use to close the loophole.
In response, the government doubled the punishment for infringing companies to $99 million. Australia's internet regulator is currently investigating Meta, Instagram, Facebook, Google, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok for non-compliance.