France has decided to toughen the protection of minors in the digital environment with one of the most ambitious measures adopted so far in Europe. This Tuesday, Parliament gave its final approval to a law that will prevent access to social networks for those under 15 years of age, an initiative with which Emmanuel Macron’s Executive intends to reduce the exposure of children and adolescents to the risks associated with the use of these platforms.
The rule places France at the forefront of European digital regulation and could become a model for other European Union countries that are already studying similar initiatives. If it passes the last pending procedure before the Constitutional Council, the Government foresees that the ban will begin to apply from the beginning of the school year.
Macron celebrates a law that he considers a fulfilled commitment
After parliamentary approval, French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated the decision through a message published on his social networks, where he assured that France “paves the way in Europe to protect our children and adolescents.”
The head of State recalled that the ban was part of the commitments made during his mandate and stated that, once he receives the endorsement of the Constitutional Council, the time will come to implement all the necessary measures to guarantee its compliance.
What changes with the new legislation
The new law establishes that minors under 15 years of age will not be able to access social media services offered by digital platforms. However, not all internet pages will be affected.
The text expressly excludes certain services considered of public or educational interest, including Wikipedia, free software platforms and various open source educational projects, which will continue to be accessible to minors.
One of the most relevant aspects of the rule is that it does not determine a single age verification system. It will be the companies that own the platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat, that will have to implement effective mechanisms to verify that users meet the age requirement before allowing them to create an account.
The use of mobile phones in schools is also tightened
The reform goes beyond social networks. The French Parliament has also approved extending the ban on the use of mobile phones to high schools, a restriction that until now already existed in primary and secondary schools.
However, the law contemplates that educational centers may establish exceptions based on their pedagogical needs or the internal regulations of each institution.
Entry into force in two phases
The French Executive intends to apply the measure as of September 1 for all new accounts created on the affected platforms.
In the case of already existing profiles, the regulations contemplate a transitional period of four months. In this way, the ban will begin to affect these accounts from January 1, 2027, giving the platforms time to adapt their age verification systems.
France wants to lead the European debate
The delegate minister for Digital Affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, defended during the parliamentary procedure that France becomes the first European country to establish a “digital majority” set at 15 years.
In addition, he assured that a coalition made up of fifteen European countries, including Spain, is analyzing the possibility of promoting similar legislation to strengthen the protection of minors on the internet.
Until now, the most important precedent was outside Europe. Australia was the first country in the world to approve a general restriction on minors’ access to social networks, although in its case it set the age limit at 16 years.
