Starting September 1, France will enforce a ban on creating social media accounts for individuals under 15. The bill has been approved by both houses of parliament and sent to the Constitutional Council for review before the president signs it, according to Orda.kz.
In addition to the registration ban, the law requires online platforms to delete all existing accounts of children under 15 by January 1, 2027. It also introduces a ban on mobile phone use in high schools, and social networks must implement age verification measures in line with the French data protection regulator's requirements.
As Le Parisien notes, the bill does not specify how platforms should verify users' ages, leaving the method up to the social networks themselves.
The initiative follows warnings from France's health watchdog about the harmful effects of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat on children. Potential risks include lower self-esteem, increased self-harm, suicide, and drug use.
France will be the first European Union country to introduce such a ban. Similar measures are already in place in the United Arab Emirates, and a ban will take effect in the UK in 2027. Kazakhstan has also begun exploring restrictions on children's social media registration.