France’s National Assembly has backed legislation that would bar children under 15 from accessing social media, placing the country at the centre of a widening European debate over age limits, enforcement, and the role of schools in managing screen use.
The bill was adopted during a late-night sitting on Monday 26 January, with 130 deputies voting in favour and 21 against, according to Le Monde. Opposition came from lawmakers in parties including La France insoumise and the Greens.
The proposal, introduced by Laure Miller, a centrist deputy from President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, would prohibit online platforms from providing “social media services” to under-15s. The text also extends restrictions on mobile phones in education by introducing a ban in lycées (upper secondary schools), following earlier limits already applied in French collèges (lower secondary schools).
Macron has urged parliament to move quickly so the measures can take effect from the next school year. In remarks published on X, the President said the “brains of our children” were “not for sale”, in a message aimed at large international platforms.
Interdire les réseaux sociaux aux moins de 15 ans : c’est ce que préconisent les scientifiques, c’est ce que demandent massivement les Français.
Après un travail fructueux avec le Gouvernement, l’Assemblée nationale vient de dire oui.
C’est une étape majeure.…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 26, 2026
Under the bill, the ban would apply to conventional social media networks, but the scope has been a point of contention, notably where social features appear inside other services. Reporting by Le Monde said the draft law could affect “social networking features” on broader platforms and may also touch services used by teenagers for messaging or gaming, depending on how “social media services” are defined and enforced.
The bill includes exemptions, including certain educational platforms. French coverage has also indicated that private messaging services may be treated differently from open social networks, a distinction which lawmakers have used to avoid inadvertently capturing basic communications tools used by families and schools.
A central question is how France would enforce an age threshold against global firms. Le Monde reported that the Conseil d’État warned that imposing new obligations directly on platforms risks clashing with European regulation, prompting lawmakers to adjust the drafting. The expectation is that platforms would be pushed towards stronger age assurance, while sanctions and regulatory powers would need to align with EU rules.
The bill now goes to the Senate. Under France’s legislative process, the upper house may amend the text, which would then return to the National Assembly. The government has broad political backing for the approach, but practical enforcement and the legal basis under EU law remain under scrutiny.
French policymakers have linked the proposal to concerns over online bullying, exposure to harmful content, and the time children spend on algorithm-driven feeds. Supporters argue that earlier and more intensive use has outpaced parental controls and school rules. Critics, including some deputies who opposed the bill, have questioned whether an outright ban is workable and whether enforcement would be uneven across social groups, particularly if circumvention tools become widespread.
Alongside the social media restriction, attention has focused on phones in schools. A separate Le Monde report described how some French schools have already tightened rules beyond classrooms, limiting phone use in corridors and communal areas, with staff citing fewer disruptions but acknowledging the difficulty of consistent supervision.
France’s move follows Australia’s introduction of a minimum age of 16 for certain social media accounts. Under Australian rules, age-restricted platforms must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from holding accounts, with the obligations in effect from 10 December 2025, according to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and the federal government.
Other European governments are weighing similar steps. In the United Kingdom, ministers launched a consultation in January 2026 that includes the option of banning under-16s from social media, alongside proposals on data use and enforcement mechanisms, according to a government statement. Denmark has also signalled interest in stricter limits for under-15s, as part of a broader discussion about youth online safety and the practicalities of age verification.
For France, the immediate next test will be whether the Senate endorses the approach and whether the final text can be aligned with European regulatory frameworks while still producing an enforceable standard for platforms and schools. If adopted, the legislation would mark one of the most far-reaching national attempts in the EU to set a hard minimum age for social media access and to extend phone restrictions across the full span of secondary education.
