France is poised to become the first European Union country to introduce a nationwide age restriction preventing children under the age of 15 from accessing major social media platforms, following a parliamentary agreement on legislation aimed at strengthening protections for minors online.
French lawmakers from both houses of Parliament reached an agreement on the final wording of the proposed legislation, clearing a major hurdle before the bill’s expected approval. The move places France at the centre of a growing international debate over how governments should regulate children’s access to social media and protect young users from potential digital harms.
The legislation has been strongly backed by President Emmanuel Macron’s government and is being presented as a major step towards creating a safer online environment for children and teenagers. French authorities have argued that young people face growing risks from excessive social media use, including exposure to harmful content and possible effects on mental health.
If approved, the restrictions are expected to be implemented in two stages. From September 1, children under 15 would be prevented from opening new accounts on covered social media services. Existing accounts belonging to users below the age threshold would subsequently be affected from January 2027.
The proposed framework would require social media companies to take responsibility for preventing children below the legal age from accessing their services. Platforms would be expected to introduce appropriate age-verification mechanisms to determine whether users meet the minimum age requirement. 
The final version of the legislation follows months of disagreement between France’s two parliamentary chambers over how the restrictions should be designed. Senators had initially supported a more selective system that would distinguish between platforms considered particularly harmful to children and services that could remain accessible to younger users with parental approval.
The broader approach eventually prevailed. Under the agreed framework, platforms covered by the legislation would generally be required to prevent new users under 15 from registering and to suspend existing accounts belonging to children below that age.
However, the rules are not expected to cover every type of online service. Educational websites and online encyclopaedias, among other platforms considered essential for learning and access to information, are expected to be excluded from the restrictions.
French officials have described the legislation as an important response to concerns surrounding the impact of social media on young people. The country’s public health authorities have previously raised concerns about the effects of popular platforms on adolescents, particularly young girls, while also cautioning that social media is not the only factor contributing to deteriorating mental health among teenagers.
The issue has become increasingly prominent across Europe as governments examine ways to limit children’s exposure to digital platforms. France’s proposed legislation comes amid broader discussions within the European Union about whether children should have age-based or gradual access to social media.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also supported the idea of introducing a more gradual approach to children’s access to social media, reflecting growing concern among policymakers about the risks faced by minors in digital spaces.
One of the biggest challenges for France will be enforcement. Determining a user’s actual age without unnecessarily collecting or exposing sensitive personal information remains a complicated technical and privacy issue. Social media companies will have to adopt reliable age-verification systems capable of preventing underage access while complying with European data protection requirements.
French lawmakers have indicated that platforms will have flexibility in choosing the technological tools they use to verify users’ ages. Several age-verification solutions are already being developed or considered at the European level, potentially providing platforms with new methods to determine whether users meet the required age threshold.
The legislation also carries wider political significance for Macron, who has made children’s safety in the digital environment a prominent issue. The proposed social media restrictions are being positioned as one of the major domestic reforms of his final period in office before the next presidential transition.
Supporters of the measure argue that children need stronger protection from the pressures and risks associated with social media, including harmful content, online harassment, addictive platform design and the potential impact of constant digital engagement on mental well-being.
Critics, however, have raised concerns about whether an outright age restriction can be effectively enforced and whether the government can prevent young people from simply bypassing age checks. Questions have also emerged over how the law will balance child protection with privacy, freedom of expression and access to information.
The debate is part of a much wider global movement to regulate children’s use of social media. More than 20 countries have introduced or considered measures aimed at restricting young people’s access to online platforms.
Australia has emerged as one of the most prominent examples of this approach. Its legislation requires major social media platforms to prevent users under 16 from maintaining accounts, with companies facing significant penalties for failing to comply.
France’s proposed under-15 restriction could therefore mark a significant development in Europe’s approach to children’s online safety. If the legislation is formally adopted and successfully implemented, it could encourage other European governments to consider similar age-based restrictions.
The French initiative also highlights the growing tension between the rapid expansion of social media and governments’ efforts to protect younger users. As children increasingly rely on digital platforms for communication, entertainment and education, policymakers are facing the difficult task of determining where regulation should begin and how far it should go.
For France, the coming months will be crucial. The effectiveness of the policy will depend not only on parliamentary approval but also on the ability of technology companies to implement reliable age-verification systems and enforce the restrictions consistently.
The proposed ban ultimately reflects a broader shift in public policy: governments are increasingly treating children’s digital safety as a matter requiring direct regulation rather than leaving responsibility entirely to parents, schools and technology companies. France’s decision could become an important test case for how far governments in Europe are willing to go to control children’s access to social media.