French parliament votes to ban social media for under-15s

A majority of the French parliament is in favor of banning social media for children under the age of 15. The bill was passed with 116 members of parliament in favor and 23 against.

With this new law, the Assemblée Nationale, France’s House of Representatives, aims to better protect the health of young children.

The bill was introduced by Laure Miller of the Renaissance party in November 2025. The proposal received broad support at the time, mainly from President Macron's supporters, who backed the proposal.

“With this law, we are setting a clear limit in society. We are saying something simple: social media are not harmless,” Miller told French news outlet Le Monde after the voting.

“These social networks promised to connect, but they have fragmented. They promised to inform, but they have overwhelmed. They promised to entertain, but they have trapped users,” she continued.

President Emmanuel Macron called the adoption of the bill “a major step.”

Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, is also a strong supporter of the bill. She argued that 15 is an appropriate age because most students make the transition from lower secondary school (collège) to upper secondary school (lycée) at that age.

“Before the age of 15 is a time for innocence, creativity, learning, and self-construction. Our children’s brains are not for sale, just as they are not to be controlled,” she told Le Monde.

Although the bill enjoys broad support, some political parties have second thoughts. For example, the left-wing party La France Insoumise doubts its feasibility, arguing that young people could easily circumvent the age limit.

The bill will only come into effect if the French Senate approves it. That vote will take place in February.

If the bill is passed, it will come into effect at the start of the next school year in September.

In December 2025, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under the age of 16. Approximately 5 million social media accounts have already been taken offline since then, including 550,000 accounts by Meta.

Other countries are exploring the option to ban social media for children. Denmark has already announced a ban for children under the age of 15, which is set to come into force later this year. Countries such as Greece, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom are considering similar policies, as is the European Commission.