France became the first country in the European Union to pass a law banning children under 15 from creating social media accounts. The ban could take effect on September 1, 2026, reports infohub.kz.
The bill was approved by the National Assembly and the Senate, and now requires President Emmanuel Macron's signature. It also requires social platforms to delete existing accounts of users under 15 by January 1, 2027. Additionally, the law bans the use of mobile phones in high schools.
Under the new requirements, social networks must implement age verification mechanisms in line with French data protection authority standards. This may involve an app developed at the initiative of the European Commission and tested in several EU member states.
Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recommended introducing age restrictions on social media for minors across Europe. Her proposals included a complete ban for children under 13 and restrictions for older teenagers.