France to debate social media ban for kids underneath 15

[ad_1] The draft invoice on social media restrictions, which additionally features a digital curfew for 15- to 18-year-olds, shall be debated by France's parliament on January 19, 2026.

It suggests prohibiting on-line platforms from offering any "social networking service to a minor underneath fifteen years of age" from September 1, 2026.

It additionally seeks to increase an present ban on cell phones from preschool by way of center college (which France launched in 2018) to excessive colleges as effectively.

The draft laws says "quite a few research and studies now attest to the varied dangers related to extreme use of digital screens by youngsters", and lists explicit dangers as "publicity to inappropriate content material", "cyberbullying" and "sleep disturbances".

MPs, largely from President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble pour la République (EPR) social gathering, put ahead the invoice on November 18.

Macron, who has voiced assist for a ban on social media for under-15s, beforehand stated that the invoice may very well be debated by parliament "as early as January".

Learn extra Will France be subsequent to introduce an Australian-style social media ban for kids?

Downward spiral A French mom whose 15-year-old son died by suicide launched a authorized battle in December in opposition to a number of the world’s largest social media platforms, alleging their algorithms have been flooded with content material that drove him right into a “downward spiral”.

Learn extra 'Downward spiral': French mom says social media drove her teen to commit suicide

Clement had solely simply began his second 12 months of secondary college when he jumped off a bridge within the northwestern area of Brittany in 2024. His household at the moment are in search of to reopen the investigation into his loss of life and maintain social media platforms to account.

They filed a criticism in opposition to TikTok and Meta, amongst different social media firms, in September on prices together with incitement to suicide.

The overwhelming majority of the movies on his TikTok "For You" web page – the place the platform's algorithm recommends content material – have been "inciting him to loss of life, telling him he did not matter to anybody", Clement's mom instructed AFP.

A social media ban for teenagers took impact earlier this month in Australia, making it the primary nation to institute such a regulation.

Kids underneath 16 years previous at the moment are banned from utilizing social media platforms, together with X, TikTok, Fb, Threads, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

New accounts for this age group are prohibited and profiles that existed earlier than the ban are being deactivated.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated the brand new regulation aimed to assist younger Australians and ease the psychological well being pressures that may come from countless scrolling.