France plans to ban social networks for children under 15 years of age

France seeks to protect children from excessive exposure to screens and proposes prohibiting access to social networks for minors under 15 years of age starting in September 2026, according to a bill reviewed by AFP.

The initiative has the backing of President Emmanuel Macron, who declared earlier this month that parliament should begin debating the proposal in January.

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“Many studies and reports confirm the different risks caused by the excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,” the project states.

Children with unlimited internet access are exposed to “inappropriate content” and could suffer cyberbullying or experience disruptions in their sleep patterns, the government said.

The bill consists of two articles: the first would establish as illegal “the provision by an online platform of a social network service to a minor under 15 years of age.”

The second article proposes banning the use of mobile phones in high school.

In France, the use of cell phones in preschools and secondary schools has been prohibited since 2018, but until this year it was rarely enforced.

Earlier this month, the French Senate backed an initiative to protect teenagers from excessive screen use and access to social networks, which includes requiring parental permission for children between 13 and 16 years old to register on social networking sites.

The Senate proposal has been sent to the National Assembly, which must approve the text before it can become law.