France becomes first European country to ban social media for under-15s

Herz — World Desk · 21 July 2026 at 20:44 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What we know

France's parliament approved on July 21, 2026 legislation banning social media access for minors under 15, according to The Guardian. The National Assembly voted 279 in favor, 81 against, after the Senate approved it earlier that morning. France thus becomes the first European country to enact such a ban.

The law also includes a ban on mobile phones in secondary schools, expected to take effect at the start of the next school year.

How the law works

The law will be implemented in two phases. Starting September 1, 2026, it will no longer be possible for under-15s to create new accounts. In January 2027, existing accounts must be closed.

Exceptions are provided for online encyclopedias and educational platforms. No penalties are foreseen for children or their parents.

Responsibility for implementation lies with the platforms themselves. Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff stated that age verification tools—technical processes to verify that a user meets the age requirement before accessing a service—already exist, and that personal data protection is guaranteed.

Constitutional Council review

The Constitutional Council—a French institution established by the Fifth Republic Constitution on October 4, 1958, responsible for ensuring laws comply with constitutional requirements—must still rule on the text before it can be enacted. President Emmanuel Macron has committed to implementing the measure in September.

France is showing Europe the way to protect our children and adolescents.

— Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic

Parliamentary debates

The Senate had initially favored a two-tier system distinguishing blacklisted platforms from those accessible with parental consent. The blanket ban championed by the National Assembly ultimately prevailed.

The left raised concerns about the speed of implementation, risks of circumvention, the reliability of age verification, and privacy implications.

Context

France's health authority concluded in 2025 that TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram were harmful to adolescents, particularly girls. This report provided scientific grounding for the law's supporters.

France is one of 20 countries worldwide to have proposed or implemented such restrictions. Australia led the way in December 2025, requiring TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat to delete accounts of users under 16, under threat of heavy fines—a global first.

At the European level, the European Commission is studying a similar ban, driven particularly by France, Greece, and Spain. It has released an age verification app being tested by several member states. In mid-July 2026, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that children should have 'gradual and progressive' access to social media.