France bans social media for under-15s

DPATue, July 21, 2026 at 7:03 PM UTC1 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

France has become the first EU country to introduce a ban on social media for children under the age of 15, as the French parliament in Paris passed a law by a large majority on Tuesday evening.

The law, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, is set to take effect after the French summer holidays.

"I had pushed for this, and now it has been decided: From the new school year, social networks will be banned for children under 15," Macron said in response to the parliamentary vote.

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Parliament in Paris had debated the ban and its details at length, and the European Commission had also raised objections to the French plans.

A revised version of the legislation passed both chambers of parliament on Monday afternoon, just before the parliamentary summer recess. How the ban will be implemented and enforced in practice has yet to be worked out in detail.