Paris, France — The French Parliament has passed a landmark law banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media, making France the first country in Europe to introduce such a nationwide restriction. The government aims to enforce the measure from the start of the new school year, pending approval by the Constitutional Council.
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President Emmanuel Macron hailed the legislation as a major step toward protecting children online, calling it the fulfillment of a key campaign promise. Under the new law, social media platforms will be responsible for implementing age-verification systems to prevent under-15s from creating or using accounts.
The ban will take effect for new accounts from September 1, 2026, while existing accounts will be subject to the rules after a four-month transition period beginning January 1, 2027. Certain services, including Wikipedia and open-source educational platforms, will be exempt.
France’s Digital Affairs Minister Anne Le Hénanff described the country as a European pioneer in establishing a digital age of 15, with several other European nations reportedly considering similar legislation. Australia remains the first country globally to adopt a comparable social media restriction, applying it to users under the age of 16.
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