Another Major Country Bans Children From Social Media

French lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban social media for children under 15, making France the first European Union country to adopt such a restriction and adding momentum to a growing global push to protect minors online.

Both chambers of Parliament approved the sweeping ban, delivering a significant policy victory to French President Emmanuel Macron. The legislation also includes restrictions on mobile phones in high schools, according to the Associated Press.

One in two French teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on a smartphone, according to the Associated Press, which cited a government watchdog report showing that about 90% of children ages 12 to 17 use cellphones daily for internet access.

Under the new legislation, children under 15 will be barred from opening social media accounts beginning September 1, according to Reuters. After that, social media platforms will have four months to close existing accounts and must implement age-verification systems. 

Members of the left-wing France Unbowed party opposed the bill, arguing that it’s unconstitutional and unenforceable. Macron, who is set to leave office in 2027, is pushing for the law to take effect ahead of the upcoming school year. 

The movement is gaining traction in parts of the United States as well, with several states and school districts passing laws restricting cell phone use in classrooms.

About six-in-ten American adults support banning anyone under the age of 16 from using social media sites, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. 

In December 2025, Australia became the first nation to ban children under 16 from creating accounts on many social media platforms. 

“We haven’t really seen a plan like this be put into action,” said Jessica Melugin, the director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. “So I think the world is certainly watching.”

Under the law, Australia requires social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, to take “reasonable steps” to block children under 16 years old from creating accounts. Any platform that fails to restrict children under 16 from gaining access could face civil penalties of up to $49.5 million AUD, according to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner. In June, the government announced plans to double those fines to $99 million AUD (about $68 million).

The United Kingdom has also debated a similar proposal, though it remains unclear whether the current government will pursue it. 

Closer to home, Canadian lawmakers also introduced a social media ban for children. 

It remains unclear whether a full-scale ban, as seen in Europe and Australia, would pass First Amendment muster in the United States.