Story perspectives

French Parliament bans under-15s from social media, phones

7/22/2026

Left

Macron Bans Social Media

On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, French Parliament passed a bill banning children under 15 from social media and prohibiting smartphones in high schools.
The law bans advertising that promotes social-media to children and forces platform ads to carry a warning label.
President Emmanuel Macron backed the law, saying it shields children’s brains from algorithmic manipulation.
Amnesty International France said the measure is legitimate yet insufficient without overhauling addictive platform features.

Right

Macron Bans Social

French Parliament passed a bill banning children under 15 from social media and smartphones in high schools on July 21, 2026.
The law is promoted as President Macron’s effort urging parents to shield children from tech-giant influence, citing resident Gaëlle Berbonde’s daughter’s TikTok-related mental-health issues.
France becomes the first EU nation to ban minors from all social-media.
Macron wants the ban effective September 1, 2026, at the school year start.

Center

Macron Bans Teens

French Parliament approved a bill on July 21, 2026 banning children under 15 from social media and smartphones in high schools.
The law requires platforms to close existing under-15 accounts by 1 January 2027 and to use age-verification tools approved by France’s privacy regulator.
Health watchdog reports half of teens spend 2-5 hours on smartphones, 58 % for social media.
President Emmanuel Macron called it a “step forward” and urged September school-year enforcement.

History

Historical Context

In 1998 Congress passed COPPA, signed by President Bill Clinton, requiring parental consent for data from children under 13. The FTC’s 2019 $170 million penalty against Google showed enforcement strength. Growing concerns led to the 2024 Senate passage of KOSA, a comprehensive “duty of care” bill, indicating a shift toward stricter EU-style child-online protections.

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Macron Bans Social Media

On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, French Parliament passed a bill banning children under 15 from social media and prohibiting smartphones in high schools.
The law bans advertising that promotes social-media to children and forces platform ads to carry a warning label.
President Emmanuel Macron backed the law, saying it shields children’s brains from algorithmic manipulation.
Amnesty International France said the measure is legitimate yet insufficient without overhauling addictive platform features.

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