Johnson Progress.l

French lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban children under 15 from social media, making France the first European Union country to impose such an age limit and pushing the continent further into a global reckoning over kids and screens.

Both chambers of parliament, the Senate and National Assembly, approved the measure by wide margins.

The legislation, backed by President Emmanuel Macron and passed by both houses of parliament, will take effect September 1, giving social media companies additional months to close accounts already held by underage users.

The ban applies to major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X.

France’s move follows Australia’s historic implementation of the world’s first social media ban for under-16s in December, while Britain announced similar restrictions last month expected to take effect next year.

Spain, Greece, and Denmark are also developing their own age-limit proposals.

In an impassioned declaration that captured the administration’s determination, Macron framed the issue in stark economic and ethical terms.

“The brains of our children and our teenagers are not for sale,” the president had stated in a January video message that has now become central to the debate.

“The emotions of our children and our teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms.”

The French leader has made youth digital safety a personal priority, directly addressing teenagers about the dangers of unregulated social media consumption.

“We left you in this jungle and it robbed you of your attention,” Macron told teenagers at an April event, acknowledging the historical lack of rules governing social media platforms.

“We need to slow down and help you become adults, and above all citizens. That’s why what we want to do is say that before 15 years old, no more social media.”

Following Tuesday’s parliamentary vote, Macron took to X to announce the law’s implementation timeline.

“Social media will be banned for children under 15 starting this school year,” he posted, thanking lawmakers for their support.

Despite the political triumph, significant questions remain about practical enforcement.

Social media platforms currently require users to be at least 13, yet millions of younger children maintain active accounts by simply misrepresenting their age.

France’s approach will require platforms to implement age verification systems approved by the country’s privacy regulator, though specific methods have not yet been determined.

Australia has taken a different approach, mandating that companies “take reasonable steps” to prevent underage users, without prescribing specific verification technologies.

Social media companies, while generally opposing blanket bans and emphasizing existing youth protection measures, have indicated they will comply with government mandates where enacted.

France’s audiovisual and digital communications regulator, Arcom, will enforce the new law across all major platforms.

The regulator’s research paints a concerning picture of youth social media consumption.

According to Arcom’s findings, children aged 12 to 17 in France spend an average of 1 hour and 21 minutes daily on TikTok alone.

The regulator has warned that the platform’s recommendation algorithm tends to promote the most “extreme” content, potentially exposing teenagers to continuous streams of anxiety-inducing or harmful videos.

The proposal has garnered enthusiastic support from many French families who have witnessed firsthand the challenges of managing children’s digital consumption.

“I think it’s great,” Geraldine Delacroix, a mother of six, said.

“Now I’m waiting to see how it’s workable, but in any case, it’s better than nothing,” she added.

Delacroix, who works as a pediatrician, emphasized the limitations of existing parental controls.

“Even if we block, they find ways to get around it,” she explained, adding that she has observed growing distrust of smartphones among families over the past decade.

“People are tense [about smartphones]. There’s been a real change of atmosphere.”

Teenagers themselves have expressed mixed feelings about the legislation some wishing the protections had arrived earlier for their generation.

Ariane, a teenager whose mother spoke to news crew, told the network she found little downside to the ban but lamented its timing.

“It’s a bit too late for the young people of my generation who are 13 to 14,” she said, acknowledging the addictive pull of social media despite being active on all major platforms.

“We have a tendency to say, ‘OK, I’m just going to look at my phone for five or 10 minutes’ and then, as it’s super-addictive, we spend an hour, two hours on the phone.”

When asked about benefits for children her age, Ariane said she saw “almost no upside,” describing social media as providing only “fast, easy entertainment, without effort.”

Her older sister, Gabrielle, who had accessed Instagram and TikTok since before her tenth birthday, blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for cementing excessive smartphone habits in her generation.

“Once you’re, like, used to it, you just keep on using it,” she explained.

The European Commission is simultaneously developing its own regulations to protect young people across the continent, and will review whether France’s legislation complies with existing European law.

Junior minister for AI, Anne Le Hénanff, celebrated the parliamentary victory as a milestone for French leadership in the digital age.

“France opens the way by being the first country in Europe to adopt a digital majority,” Le Hénanff told senators.

Earlier versions of the legislation had included more ambitious provisions, such as banning advertising promoting social media to children and requiring warnings on social media advertisements stating “Dangerous products for children under 15.”

However, these proposals were ultimately excluded from the final bill.

With the legislation now approved and awaiting Macron’s signature, France is poised to implement what supporters hope will be the beginning of a new era of digital responsibility one that prioritizes childhood development over algorithmic engagement.