Written By Deepti Ratnam
France becomes first European country to ban social media for children under 15
France has passed a landmark law that will ban children under the age of 15 from using social media starting in 2027. The new rules will require mandatory age verification for all users and are aimed at protecting children from online harms such as bullying and excessive screen time.
Published By: Deepti Ratnam | Published: Jul 22, 2026, 12:19 PM (IST)
After Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey, now France has also ban children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms. The law will be applicable starting January 2027. The move makes France the first country in Europe to introduce a nationwide social media ban for younger teenagers. 
Also Read: These countries are limiting kids’ social media use: Who is banning what
The law has been approved by both the National Assembly and French State on Tuesday. In addition, it is also strongly backed by French President Emmanuel Macron who has long argued that social media brings negative impact for children and it affects their mental health as well as their development. Also Read: Now Pinterest CEO wants to ban social media for kids under 16; Here's why
The rules are introduced with an aim to reduce issues such as excessive screen time, online bullying, and loneliness among youngsters. Also Read: This Indian state becomes FIRST to ban social media for children under 16
Social media ban will be introduced in two phases
Banning social media for children below 15 will not take effect immediately. Rather, France will roll it out in two phases.
The first stage will start from September 2026, wherein children under 15 will no longer be allowed to create new social media accounts. Moreover, if anyone opens a new account then they will have to verify their age.
The second stage will be introduced starting January 2027 and the rules will be expanded to existing accounts. Under this phase, everyone in France will have to prove they are at least 15 years or older to continue using the social media platforms.
This means, both the stages will require new and existing users to complete age verification before setting up their account.
List of platforms that will be affected?
The law will be applied to some of the major social media platforms, including:
- Snapchat
- X (formerly Twitter)
- YouTube
- TikTok
According to French lawmakers, the rules will mainly apply to the content-sharing features of these platforms and not their private messaging services.
Why France is implementing the ban?
French President Emmanuel Macron has made several remarks about the dangers of social media to children.
He has correlated overuse of social media with problems like:
- Loneliness
- Cognitive development in teenagers
- Online bullying
- Mental health concerns
Macron criticized the social media platforms this past spring for exploiting young people and stating that, “Our children’s brains are not for sale.
The French government thinks that limiting access at an early age will make the online environment safer for children.
Adults will be required to have age evidence
The new law will require social media platforms to implement age verification measures that have been authorized by the French privacy regulator.
The government states there are reliable age checking technologies available and that they can be used safely.
But privacy advocates and digital rights organizations have noted some issues with the way the checks are expected to function, whether there will be safeguards for users’ privacy and whether children will be able to circumvent them.
Australia faced same challenges
Australia is leading the way and France is following suit, with the French government announcing that it will implement a nationwide social media ban for under 16s.
While the law took effect in late 2025, many young people were found to be still using social media via hacks.
Around seven out of ten children with social media accounts before the ban were still able to get on social media, according to the eSafety Commission.
This indicates that age restrictions are not as easy to enforce online, experts say.
More countries may also follow the same path
France’s action could inspire other nations to do the same.
Many countries have expressed interest in implementing harsher regulations for children’s use of social media, such as Germany, Greece, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The European Commission is also considering its own regulation and has already rolled out an age verification app which would facilitate member states in implementing future EU online safety legislation.
Schools are also facing stricter phone rules
France has also reinforced the restrictions on the use of smartphones in high schools, as part of the social media ban.
These are some of the steps being taken to further enhance children’s wellbeing, minimize distractions and promote healthier online behaviours, according to the government.
What it means
The new law in France will require age verification for all social media users in the country from 2027. Supporters hope it will help to shield kids from bad online content, but critics say the ban will be hard to enforce and to keep users’ privacy intact.
Whether social networking sites will be able to successfully identify and verify the ages of users and avoid giving minors too many opportunities to use the service without age verification will play a major role in the success of the law.
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