France wants to ban social networks for children under 15

After a long debate that lasted until after midnight local time, French deputies approved the measure with a score of 130 votes in favor and 21 against.

The project, presented through an urgent procedure, will now have to receive the green light from the Senate for it to come into force from September 1st.

During the debates, government deputy Laure Miller, one of the bill’s sponsors, justified the need for the ban “because we cannot let a child have to manage something addictive (networks) on their own.”

Miller cited the algorithms that lead minors to suicidal and self-harming content and emphasized TikTok.

“It promised to encourage creativity and joy and exactly the opposite happened,” said the parliamentarian, citing scientific studies that show that the excessive use of social networks by teenagers disrupts their sleep, physical conditioning, reading and self-esteem.

Before voting on the project, deputies defeated a motion to reject the text presented by the main left-wing party, France Insubmissa, which criticized this ban as “inapplicable” and for “not changing anything”.

“Do you know how simple it is to avoid it? In Australia, all it takes is for someone who looks over 18 to apply for facial recognition in place of the minor. Or for the minor to put on makeup to look older,” said deputy Louis Boyard.

The initiative responds to a legislative acceleration ordered by French President Emmanuel Macron, with a proposal he launched several months ago and which he wants to be adopted as soon as possible in Parliament to protect minors.

“Because our children’s brains are not for sale. Neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks. Because their dreams cannot be dictated by algorithms. Because we do not want an anxious generation, but a generation that believes in France, the Republic and its values”, Macron positioned himself on the social network X to celebrate this first legislative step.

With just two articles, the future law aims to establish a “clear” rule on the use of cell phones and social networks for children under 15, according to Macron on Sunday on the BFMTV television network.

The French government is relying on health reports that highlight the psychological damage that social media can cause to minors.

Social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are seriously harming teenagers’ mental health, according to a report published earlier this year by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Labor Safety (ANSES).

The agency warned about constant comparison and exposure to violent content, systems that capture attention and disrupt sleep and behavior in the virtual environment.