French lawmakers approve a sweeping social media ban for children under 15

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Europe French lawmakers approve a sweeping social media ban for children under 15 July 22, 20261:46 AM ET By The Associated Press FILE - Phones are kept for charging at a Doctors Without Borders informal camp in Mardyck, northern France, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Nicolas Garriga/AP hide caption toggle caption Nicolas Garriga/AP PARIS — France banned children under 15 from using social media on Tuesday, becoming the first country in the European Union to pass a blanket ban on the platforms as concerns grow worldwide over the harmful effects of digital content on kids. Health Research points to how companies could make social media less addictive for teens Both chambers of the Parliament voted in favor of the measure, a flagship initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron's second term.

The bill also bans the use of mobile phones in high schools. Several families in France have sued TikTok over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content. Children's advocates and parents applauded the vote.

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"We've been campaigning for this bill from the start because, frankly, we have no other option, no other way to counter tech giants," said Gaëlle Berbonde, a 52-year-old who lives in the Paris region. "The only thing we can do is protect our children, just as we protect our children from drinking alcohol. " Sponsor Message Berbonde told The Associated Press that her daughter was in seventh grade when she got her first smartphone.

A parental control app helped monitor what she did online, but Berbonde had no idea what TikTok really was. After a few months, the family realized that the daughter was cutting herself and was suffering from anorexia and depression. She spent a year and a half in the hospital but is now 16 and well.

Macron wants the ban in place for the new school year The legislation is one of the final major measures adopted under Macron's presidency before he leaves office next year. Macron wants the law to take effect at the start of the new school year in September. However, a review to determine whether the bill complies with the French Constitution is likely to take place and could delay its implementation.

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"France is leading the way in Europe in protecting our children and our teenagers," Macron said. "We will keep on going. " The ban won't cover online encyclopedias, or educational or scientific directories.

Lawmakers from the left-wing party France Unbowed opposed the bill, arguing that its constitutionality is unclear, that it would effectively end online anonymity, and that it would be impossible to enforce. Sponsor Message Ines Legendre, a legal adviser for the online protection group e-Enfance, said the law will not immediately translate into an outright ban. "We'll also have to address the issue of existing accounts for those under 15.

How do we identify them? How do we suspend them? And then there's the question of age verification for all new accounts that will come into effect," she said.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.