• The European Commission has informed France that its proposed legislation banning children under 15 from using social media is not compatible with current EU law, leading France to amend its legislation.
• The European Commission supports the objective of protecting minors online but emphasizes the need to prevent fragmentation into national systems that could create legal uncertainty or weaken enforcement.
• Several EU member states, including Spain, Greece, Germany, and Austria, plan to introduce bans on social media for minors up to a certain age, but the enforcement of digital age limits falls under the European Commission's jurisdiction, not individual member states.

The European Commission has told France that its proposed legislation banning children under 15 from using social media is incompatible with EU law in its current form, dpa has learned.

As the Brussels-based authority has authority over certain areas of digital policy, France must now amend its legislation.

A spokesman said on Wednesday that the European Commission fully shares the French authorities' objective, adding that minors must be better protected online.

However, he said it was necessary to prevent fragmentation into national systems, which could lead to legal uncertainty or weaken enforcement.

The spokesman stressed that the commission's opinion helps to ensure that all national measures are effective and in line with EU law.

Several member states, including Spain, Greece, Germany and Austria, intend to introduce a legal ban on social media for minors up to a certain age.

However, the example from France shows that this is not readily possible for individual member states. This is because enforcing digital age limits requires the technical involvement of the major online platforms, but prescribing and enforcing these rules falls within the European Commission's remit.

Individual member states would therefore not be permitted to impose any additional obligations on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and the like.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen intends to put forward an EU-wide proposal on the subject and has set up a panel of experts to advise her on how to proceed. Their final proposals will be presented on Monday.